Autumn Abundance: Trout, Reds, and Macks Light up the NC Coast

Artificial Lure here with your Tuesday, October 21st, 2025, fishing report for the Atlantic Ocean off North Carolina. Overcast skies greet us this morning, with a mild breeze out of the west at around 10 to 15 knots—about what the National Weather Service expected, making for a moderate chop on open water and 2 to 4 foot waves just offshore. Those seas are workable, but keep an eye if you’re in smaller craft. Air temps are holding steady in the low 60s, and water temps are hovering in the mid- to upper-60s, priming a solid fall bite up and down the coast.

Sunrise was 7:22 this morning, sunset is set for 6:31 tonight, so you’ve got nearly eleven hours of daylight to work with. The tide cycle is strong today—Oak Island’s first low hit around 1:39am at 0.5 feet, high at 7:54am topping out at 5.6 feet, then another low at 2:06pm, high again at 8:04pm just shy of five feet. That’s a pretty solid tidal swing, and with a tidal coefficient in the mid-80s, you’ll see active water movement near the inlets and creek mouths all day—ideal conditions for those hunting feeding game fish, according to Tides4Fishing’s latest tables.

Fishing action has been fantastic the past few days, with the seasonal fall migration heating up. Speckled trout are thick inside the sounds, all the way down to Wrightsville Beach, and the surf has been giving up nice schools at dawn if you’re willing to brave it. The best bite’s coming on live shrimp or mud minnows under a popping cork, but don’t sleep on soft plastics and MirrOlures in natural hues when the water’s clear.

Red drum action remains steady on the falling tide, especially along grass flats and at inlet points—Oregon Inlet and Masonboro are both producing. Most folks are relying on finger mullet or cut menhaden rigged Carolina style, but the Z-Man Ned Rig and Gulp! Swimming Mullet are pulling slot reds and the occasional bull, as noted in the Z-Man Playbook and on fishingreminder.com.

In the nearshore waters, bluefish and Spanish mackerel are still pushing schools of peanut bunker close to the beach, providing hot topwater action. Diamond jigs, Got-Cha plugs, and spoons thrown into visible bait balls are getting nailed, especially during the outgoing tide when those predators pin bait against the sandbar. If you’re after a traditional red drum surf bite, fresh cut mullet on a fish-finder rig remains money in the wash.

For you offshore folks, kings are within striking distance, especially around AR 425 and the Tower; most action’s on slow-trolled dead cigar minnows behind a blue/white skirt. Wahoo have been firing on darker, deeper-running lures, mainly along temperature breaks off the break.

Spots to highlight today:
- **Surf City Pier** is mentioned by locals as extra hot at first light and again around sunset, with a mixed bag of trout, drum, blues, and a few late flounder.
- **Carolina Beach Inlet** is holding reds and flounder on the outgoing tide, especially mid-morning, and is accessible for both kayak and shore anglers.

For lures, walking topwaters like the Yo-Zuri 3DB and bone Spooks are best early, while chatterbaits, underspins, and squarebills are top picks once the sun’s up, especially wherever bait is balled. If you’re fishing from a boat, target creek mouths and oyster points on that early incoming tide. In low visibility, go loud and bright; go natural and subtle when you’ve got clearer water.

Thanks for tuning in to the report. Be sure to subscribe for daily updates, tide cycles, and the latest bait picks right here. This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease.ai.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Artificial lore. Here with your Tuesday, October twenty first, twenty
twenty five fishing report for the Atlantic Ocean off North Carolina.
Overcast skies greet us this morning with a mild breeze
out of the west at around ten to fifteen knots
about what the National Weather Service expected, making for a
moderate chop on open water and two to four foot

(00:21):
waves just offshore. Those seas are workable, but keep an
eye if you're in smaller craft. Air temps are holding
steady in the low sixties and water tamps are hovering
in the mid to upper sixties, crying a solid fall
bite up and down the coast. Sunrise was seven twenty
two this morning. Sunset is set for six thirty one tonight,

(00:41):
so you've got nearly eleven hours of daylight to work with.
The tide cycle is strong today. Oak Island's first low
hit around one thirty nine am at zero point five
feet high at seven point fifty four am, topping out
at five point six feet, Then another low at two
thirty six pm, high again at eight zero four pm,

(01:02):
just shy of five feet. That's a pretty solid title swing,
and with the tidal coefficient in the mid seventies. You'll
see active water movement near the inlets and creek mouths
all day, ideal conditions for those hunting feeding game fish.
According to Tides four Fishing's latest tables, fishing action has
been fantastic the past few days with the seasonal fall

(01:24):
migration heating up. Speckled trout are thick inside the sounds
all the way down to Wrightsville Beach, and the surf
has been giving up nice schools at dawn. If you're
willing to brave it. The best bites coming on live
shrimp or mug minnows under a popping cork, but don't
sleep on soft plastics and mirrorlures in natural hues when
the water's clear. Red drum action remains steady on the

(01:47):
falling tide, especially along grass flats and at inlet points.
Oregon Inlet and Masonburro are both producing. Most folks are
relying on finger mowet or cut men Hayden ray the
Carolina style, but the z Man medrig and Gope swimming
mullet are pulling slot reds and the occasional bull, as

(02:09):
noted in the z Man Playbook and on Fishing Reminder
dot com in the near shore waters. Bluefish and Spanish
mackerel are still pushing schools of peanut bunker close to
the beach, providing hot topwater action. Diamond jigs, gotcha plugs
and spoons thrown into visible bait balls are getting nailed,
especially during the outgoing tide when those predators pen bait

(02:33):
against the sandbar. If you're after a traditional red drum
surf bite, fresh cut mullet on a fishfinder rig remains
money in the wash for you. Offshore folks. Kings are
within striking distance, especially around Ar four to two five
in the tower. Most actions on slow trolled dead cigar
mennows behind a blue white skirt wahoo have been firing

(02:55):
on darker, deeper running lures, namely along temperature breaks off
the break spots to highlight. Today, Surf City Pier is
mentioned by locals as extra hot at first light and
again around sunset with a mixed bag of trout, drunk
blues and a few late flounder. Carolina Beach Inlet is

(03:16):
holding reds and flounder on the outgoing tide, especially mid morning,
and is accessible for both kayak and shore anglers for lures.
Walking top waters like the Yosuri three D and bone
spooks are best early, while chatter baits, underspins and square
bills are hot picks once the sun's up, especially wherever

(03:37):
bait is bald. If you're fishing from a boat, target
creeked mouths and oyster points on that early incoming tide
and low visibility, go loud and bright, Go natural and
subtle when you've got clearer water. Thanks for tuning in
to the report. Be sure to subscribe for daily updates,
tide cycles, and the latest bait picks right here. This

(03:59):
has been a Quiet Please production. For more check out
Quiet Please dot ai