Wrightsville Beach – June 2025
Avery, of Tex’s Tackle, reports that surf anglers are landing plenty of bluefish and Virginia mullet. Black drum are scattered in for anglers fishing cut shrimp or sand fleas.
Off the beach, trolling efforts are producing plenty of spanish mackerel and bluefish.
King mackerel are starting to show up nearshore. A few fish are being caught along the beaches (and from local piers), with the best numbers out in the 5-10 mile range.
Offshore trolling runs are still seeing some wahoo catches, but anglers are waiting for the big late spring push of mahi.
Inshore, the red drum bite is strong, as these fish are scattered all along the waterway.
Some flounder are mixed in, and they’re mostly hitting the same soft plastics or live baits used on the bottom for reds.
Dock and bridge anglers have seen a jump in the sheepshead bite, and some speckled trout are around.
Ryan, of Intracoastal Angler, reports that anglers running out towards the break have been catching wahoo, blackfin tuna, and blue marlin, with white marlin scattered in.
The mahi have started to show up, and anglers have been able to find some schools as close in as 25 miles.
Bottom fishing is producing red grouper, scamp grouper, vermilion snapper, triggerfish, gag grouper, and plenty of black sea bass.
Some cobia have been caught by anglers bottom fishing the nearshore reefs and ledges. Live menhaden will be the best bait for them.
The best numbers of kings are in the 10-mile range.
Just off the beaches, anglers are catching a good number of spanish mackerel and bluefish while pulling Clarkspoons behind planers.
Inshore, the red drum have mostly broken up into smaller groups and are scattered along the ICW and out to the inlets.
Some decent flounder and speckled trout are mixed in. The trout have been caught in the low-light hours (early and late), while flounder are hitting Carolina-rigged live baits or slowly fished artificials.
Sheepshead are around for anglers using live fiddler crabs.
For those fishing the surf zone, Virginia mullet and a few pompano are showing up.
Reece Lea, of Hampstead, caught this spanish mackerel trolling Clarkspoons in the ICW near Scotts Hill.
Luke, of Coastline Fishing Charters, reports that nearshore anglers have found the spanish mackerel action to be fantastic while trolling deep diver plugs or Clarkspoons over nearshore reefs and off the beaches. On some days, the spanish are up on the surface in the early mornings for sight-casting action with small metal jigs.
The nearshore king mackerel bite has fired up for anglers slow-trolling live baits both on the beach and over structure. When you can’t locate menhaden, skirted dead baits have also done well to entice strikes.
Inshore, the red drum bite has really turned on, and these fish are scattered. Anglers have been using topwater plugs along grass banks and near oyster beds on shorelines. Cut baits have also had plenty of success in these areas (and around docks).
Sheepshead have been showing up around inshore structure in good numbers. Fishing crabs on a Carolina rig can produce bites.
Black drum are still around inshore structures, though the arrival of pinfish has basically shut down the use of fresh cut shrimp.
Pierre, of Rising Sun Fishing, reports that red drum are reacting well to topwater plugs, cut menhaden, live baits, and popping cork setups. On higher tides, target docks and grass lines in the ICW, and on lower tides, look around deeper oyster beds.
Off the beach, the spanish mackerel are around.
King mackerel fishing has been decent in the 5-mile range, with some fish mixed on the beach as well. Trolling a Yo-Zuri deep diver is a simple and easy tactic to get some strikes.
Guion, of Green Creek Outfitters, reports that red drum action has been picking up as these fish scatter into the marshes. Anglers are having a lot of success catching them with topwater plugs and soft plastics.
Off the beach, spanish mackerel fishing has been getting good for anglers sight-casting jigs and darts to surface feeding frenzies.
The nearshore reefs are seeing some big flounder, and anglers should stay prepared in case they stumble across a cobia.
Kyle Kendall, of Wilmington, landed this 14 lb. hogfish sixty miles offshore of Wrightsville Beach on a bottom rig with squid.
Victor, of Carolina Charters, reports that big sheepshead are back inshore. Anglers have been catching them around structure with water depths of 3-8’ and using either live fiddler or mud crabs.
With pinfish now back around, anglers targeting red drum have flipped away from using cut shrimp and moved on to the smaller live menhaden that are showing up in the area.
Rick, of Living Waters Guide Service, reports that Gulf Stream runs have been producing mahi, wahoo, blackfins, and yellowfins in the 180-350’ range while trolling ballyhoo. Popping/topwater action can also work well on the tunas and mahi in this range.
Jigging is working best for amberjacks and tuna.
Bottom fishing the deeper areas (150-300’ range) have produced triggerfish, scamp grouper, and yelloweye snapper.
The billfish bite has been excellent in the 100+ fathoms area. Most of the action is blue marlin and sailfish, with some white marlin in the mix.
Ben, of Southern Run Fishing Charters, reports that king mackerel have made a showing in the 8-12+ mile range, and they’re mostly striking at live menhaden, Drone spoons, or cigar minnows.
Offshore, the gag grouper bite has been great out in 60’+, with plenty of American red snapper mixed in. A live pinfish will be best for enticing the bigger grouper to bite.
Gulf Stream runs have found some dolphin around, although the bite is still building. The mahi are being found anywhere in the 140-1000’ range while targeting weed lines.
Blackfin tuna action has been consistent around areas such as the Steeples.
Bottom fishing trips out deep (120-160’+) are catching triggerfish, vermilion snapper, and grouper.
Brian, of Johnnie Mercers Pier, reports that bottom fishing anglers are catching whiting and croakers with cut baits and artificial bait strips.
Some spanish mackerel are being caught by anglers casting spoons and plugs to feeding schools.
Anglers fishing live bait off the end have landed a few king mackerel.
