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Wilmington Fishing Report: Trout, Reds, and Kings Thrive in Late October Conditions
Published 6 months ago
Description
Artificial Lure here bringing you the Wilmington, NC fishing report for Monday, October 27th, 2025.
We’re starting the day with a sunrise at 7:27 AM and the sun setting at 6:23 PM. Tides play a huge role in our local bite, and today’s numbers are solid for the inshore crowd: low tide hits around 7:30 AM at just 0.71 feet, then peaks for a robust high tide at 1:17 PM, topping 4.68 feet before dropping back to an evening low around 8:46 PM with a 1.15-foot mark. Don’t discount that midday high—fish push up into the grass, and feeding activity bumps up big during that window. This data’s straight from Tide-Forecast, which has served local anglers for years.
Weather-wise, the morning starts cool and fair, with clouds rolling in by mid-day and winds picking up out of the southeast—a small craft advisory is in effect, so be cautious if you’re heading past the jetties. Rain and gusts will increase late in the day, so plan your trip early for best conditions, especially if going offshore. Marine Weather from NOAA is calling for these gusty transitions, so it’s not the best day to test your limits on a kayak.
As for the fishing itself, Wilmington is showing all the signs of late October greatness. According to the latest Wilmington NC Daily Fishing Report, inshore action is hot: **speckled trout** and **red drum** are firing around the Intracoastal, creek mouths, and grass lines. Anglers are getting good numbers on both species with a mix of live shrimp under popping corks and paddle tail plastics, especially the white and chartreuse combos. The falling tide at first light has reds tailing on the muddy flats, and as that tide rises, the bite transitions to deeper banks for specks.
**Flounder** are still being caught as the water cools, especially near docks and the mouths of feeder creeks. The best results come from slow-rolling Gulp! swimming mullets and live mud minnows. Folks working Carolina rigs or a straight jig-head are pulling keepers, especially on the outgoing tide.
Offshore, the hot story continues to be **king mackerel** off the beaches and near the artificial reefs. Slow-trolled cigar minnows and drone spoons are knocking down fish in the 10- to 20-pound class, especially out of Carolina Beach Inlet—just keep your eyes out for sudden squalls in the afternoon.
For those asking about bait, locals favor **live shrimp** and **mud minnows** inshore, with topwater plugs coming into play for morning trout—Zara Spooks and MirrOlures are producing. For artificial lovers, a 1/4 oz. jighead with a Z-Man Soft Plastic in “electric chicken” is a consistent winner for both trout and reds. Offshore, nothing outshines a fresh cigar minnow when you’re targeting kings.
Hot spots this week include:
- **Bradley Creek:** Great for trout at sunrise on the incoming.
- **Masonboro Inlet:** Consistently productive for reds and slot drum with good outflow current.
- **Johnnie Mercer’s Pier:** Plenty of action close to shore—heard of blues and Spanish mackerel being picked up mid-morning.
Reports from locals and the daily podcast are showing anglers limiting out on slot reds, seeing a definite uptick in citation-size specks, and even some solid flounder numbers before the rain. It’s classic fall fishing—keep those rain jackets in your bag and focus on tide swings.
Thanks for tuning in to today’s Wilmington report with Artificial Lure. Don’t forget to subscribe for tomorrow’s update and fresh “what’s biting” news. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
This episode includes AI-generated content.
We’re starting the day with a sunrise at 7:27 AM and the sun setting at 6:23 PM. Tides play a huge role in our local bite, and today’s numbers are solid for the inshore crowd: low tide hits around 7:30 AM at just 0.71 feet, then peaks for a robust high tide at 1:17 PM, topping 4.68 feet before dropping back to an evening low around 8:46 PM with a 1.15-foot mark. Don’t discount that midday high—fish push up into the grass, and feeding activity bumps up big during that window. This data’s straight from Tide-Forecast, which has served local anglers for years.
Weather-wise, the morning starts cool and fair, with clouds rolling in by mid-day and winds picking up out of the southeast—a small craft advisory is in effect, so be cautious if you’re heading past the jetties. Rain and gusts will increase late in the day, so plan your trip early for best conditions, especially if going offshore. Marine Weather from NOAA is calling for these gusty transitions, so it’s not the best day to test your limits on a kayak.
As for the fishing itself, Wilmington is showing all the signs of late October greatness. According to the latest Wilmington NC Daily Fishing Report, inshore action is hot: **speckled trout** and **red drum** are firing around the Intracoastal, creek mouths, and grass lines. Anglers are getting good numbers on both species with a mix of live shrimp under popping corks and paddle tail plastics, especially the white and chartreuse combos. The falling tide at first light has reds tailing on the muddy flats, and as that tide rises, the bite transitions to deeper banks for specks.
**Flounder** are still being caught as the water cools, especially near docks and the mouths of feeder creeks. The best results come from slow-rolling Gulp! swimming mullets and live mud minnows. Folks working Carolina rigs or a straight jig-head are pulling keepers, especially on the outgoing tide.
Offshore, the hot story continues to be **king mackerel** off the beaches and near the artificial reefs. Slow-trolled cigar minnows and drone spoons are knocking down fish in the 10- to 20-pound class, especially out of Carolina Beach Inlet—just keep your eyes out for sudden squalls in the afternoon.
For those asking about bait, locals favor **live shrimp** and **mud minnows** inshore, with topwater plugs coming into play for morning trout—Zara Spooks and MirrOlures are producing. For artificial lovers, a 1/4 oz. jighead with a Z-Man Soft Plastic in “electric chicken” is a consistent winner for both trout and reds. Offshore, nothing outshines a fresh cigar minnow when you’re targeting kings.
Hot spots this week include:
- **Bradley Creek:** Great for trout at sunrise on the incoming.
- **Masonboro Inlet:** Consistently productive for reds and slot drum with good outflow current.
- **Johnnie Mercer’s Pier:** Plenty of action close to shore—heard of blues and Spanish mackerel being picked up mid-morning.
Reports from locals and the daily podcast are showing anglers limiting out on slot reds, seeing a definite uptick in citation-size specks, and even some solid flounder numbers before the rain. It’s classic fall fishing—keep those rain jackets in your bag and focus on tide swings.
Thanks for tuning in to today’s Wilmington report with Artificial Lure. Don’t forget to subscribe for tomorrow’s update and fresh “what’s biting” news. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
This episode includes AI-generated content.