Surf Fishing Carolina Beach and Kure Beach: A Seasonal Breakdown
The Pleasure Island surf zone from Carolina Beach to Fort Fisher produces bluefish, red drum, pompano, and whiting by se...
Read MoreNorth Carolina · Cape Fear
CAROLINA BEACH
FISHING CHARTERS
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Verified Captains
4.7★
Avg Rating
3
Fishing Types
14+
Species
Carolina Beach, NC
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About
Carolina Beach Fishing
Carolina Beach offers family-friendly fishing from the pier, productive inshore fishing in Snow's Cut and the Cape Fear River, plus offshore trips to nearshore wrecks and reefs.
Fishing Calendar
What's Biting in Carolina Beach?
See which species are available each month, color-coded by activity level.
Color Key
Peak
Good
Fair
Off Season
| Species | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Nearshore
|
G | G | G | G | G | G | G | G | G | G | G | G |
|
Inshore
|
F | G | G | G | F | - | - | - | - | - | - | F |
|
Inshore
|
- | - | F | G | F | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
|
Nearshore
|
- | - | F | G | G | F | - | - | - | G | F | - |
|
Inshore
|
- | - | G | G | G | F | F | G | G | P | G | F |
|
Inshore
|
- | - | F | F | F | - | - | - | F | G | F | - |
|
Nearshore
|
- | - | - | F | G | G | F | - | - | - | - | - |
|
Inshore
|
- | - | - | G | G | G | G | G | G | G | F | - |
|
Nearshore
|
- | - | - | G | P | G | - | - | G | P | F | - |
|
Deep Sea Fishing
|
- | - | - | - | F | G | G | F | - | - | - | - |
|
Deep Sea Fishing
|
- | - | - | - | F | F | F | - | - | - | - | - |
|
Deep Sea Fishing
|
- | - | - | - | - | F | F | F | - | - | - | - |
|
Nearshore
|
- | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | F | F | - |
|
Deep Sea Fishing
|
- | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | G | G | F |
Species Glossary
View Full Species Guide
Carolina Beach Fish Species
14+ species organized by fishing type. Click any species to learn more.
Inshore Species
Fish the bays, flats, and passes close to shore.
Nearshore Species
Target reefs, wrecks, and structure within a few miles of land.
Deep Sea Fishing Species
Head to deep water for big game and bottom species.
Charter Guide
Fishing Charter Types in Carolina Beach
Understanding the different charter types will help you book the perfect trip for your group.
INSHORE
Fish the bays, flats, and passes close to shore. Target redfish, speckled trout, flounder and more in calm, protected waters.
View Inshore ChartersNEARSHORE
Fish the reefs, wrecks, and structure 1-9 miles offshore. Target snapper, grouper, cobia and more over natural and artificial reefs.
View Nearshore ChartersDEEP SEA FISHING
Deep sea fishing 20+ miles out. Chase tuna, marlin, mahi mahi, wahoo and other pelagic gamefish in blue water.
View Deep Sea Fishing ChartersTROLLING
Cover water by dragging lures or bait behind a moving boat to target pelagic species.
View Trolling ChartersBOTTOM FISHING
Drop baits to the ocean floor to target snapper, grouper, and other reef dwellers.
View Bottom Fishing ChartersFLY FISHING
Sight-cast with fly rods on the flats for redfish, trout, and tarpon.
View Fly Fishing ChartersSURF FISHING
Fish from the beach or wade into the surf to target pompano, whiting, and redfish.
View Surf Fishing ChartersKAYAK FISHING
Paddle out for a more intimate fishing experience on bays and nearshore waters.
View Kayak Fishing Charters
Fishing Tips & Guides
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Carolina Beach Fishing Blog
Local insights, seasonal reports, and expert tips for fishing in Carolina Beach.
Guest Reviews
5
based on 6 reviews
Carolina Beach Fishing Reviews
Red drum were blitzing in Snow's Cut
Fished live shrimp in Snow's Cut and the red drum were pushing bait through the channel on the incoming tide. Threw cut mullet to the edges and hooked up repeatedly. Landed eight solid reds — Snow's Cut funnels redfish through and creates an incredible ambush point.
C
Captain Dale
October 2025
Redfish
Speckled Trout
Flounder slam in the Cape Fear River
Anchored in the Cape Fear River near Carolina Beach and dropped live mud minnows to the bottom. The flounder were stacked on the sandy edges and we limited out quickly. These river channels produce fat flounder from August through November every year.
C
Captain Jasmine
September 2025
Flounder
Red Drum
Speckled trout were chewing in the river bends
Drifted live shrimp under popping corks through the Cape Fear River bends near Carolina Beach and the speckled trout were aggressive. Landed 16 solid trout with several over 20 inches. The deep bends of the Cape Fear hold schools of trout through the winter months.
C
Captain Franklin
December 2025
Speckled Trout
Flounder
Nearshore reef fishing was outstanding
Ran out to the nearshore reefs off Carolina Beach and the bite was wide open. King mackerel were crushing live bait and the black sea bass were stacked on every piece of bottom structure. Filled the cooler with a beautiful mixed bag in just a few hours.
C
Captain Leticia
May 2025
King Mackerel
Black Sea Bass
Mahi action was on fire offshore
Ran offshore from Carolina Beach and found a massive weed line holding schools of mahi. Light spinning tackle and small jigs produced fish after fish. We caught over 20 mahi and released most of them — the colors on these fish in the warm offshore water were incredible.
C
Captain Oscar
July 2025
Mahi Mahi
Wahoo
Snow's Cut sheepshead were biting hot
Dropped fiddler crabs against the Snow's Cut bridge pilings and the sheepshead were crushing baits nonstop. Landed a dozen fat sheepies between 3 and 5 pounds. Snow's Cut is one of the best sheepshead spots on the Cape Fear coast and winter is prime time.
C
Captain Miranda
February 2025
Sheepshead
Black Drum
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