TidePlanet

Best time to fish in Wrightsville Beach

Today, Wednesday, October 28, 2026 · local time (EDT) · North Carolina, United States Today, Wed, Oct 28 · EDT
6
Today's rating Average day 6 out of 10
Best time today 3:00–4:20 pm Also 2:10–3:50 am and 9:50–10:30 am
High tides
9:25 am and 9:39 pm
Major periods
1:46–3:46 am and 2:18–4:18 pm
Solunar activity
Medium
Sun
7:28 am–6:22 pm

Today, Wednesday, October 28, the best time to fish in Wrightsville Beach is 3:00 pm to 4:20 pm, with the 3:56 pm low tide, a major period and some swell, though with moderate wind. It's an average day (6/10). The best day this week is Thursday, October 29, at 7/10.

Your day in Wrightsville Beach at a glance

The strip runs from midnight to midnight, local time. Night in gray, daylight in yellow; the blue curve is the tide; below, the solunar periods and the best windows.

Fishing forecast for the next 7 days

DayRatingBest timesHigh tidesMoon
Today 6average day
3:00–4:20 pm2:10–3:50 am
 ▲ 9:25 am
▲ 9:39 pm		 Waning gibbous
Thu 29 7good day
3:50–5:20 pm2:50–4:50 am
 ▲ 10:21 am
▲ 10:39 pm		 Waning gibbous
Fri 30 7good day
4:50–6:30 pm3:50–4:30 am
 ▲ 11:20 am
▲ 11:41 pm		 Waning gibbous
Sat 31 6average day
5:50–6:40 pm5:00–6:40 am
 ▲ 12:18 pm Waning gibbous
Sun 1 7good day
6:10–6:50 am12:40–1:20 pm
 ▲ 12:42 am
▲ 12:16 pm		 Last quarter
Mon 2 6average day
6:20–7:10 am7:00–8:10 pm
 ▲ 12:43 am
▲ 1:14 pm		 Waning crescent
Tue 3 6average day
1:40–2:40 pm6:40–8:40 am
 ▲ 1:46 am
▲ 2:15 pm		 Waning crescent

Each day's rating comes from the tide, the solunar periods, the light and, when we have the forecast, the weather.

What can you catch in Wrightsville Beach?

Sport fishing species with the most records within about 19 mi of Wrightsville Beach: spot, mahi-mahi, Atlantic croaker, bluefish and black sea bass. October is one of the months when these are seen most: black sea bass and summer flounder.

  1. Picture of spot
    Spot Leiostomus xanthurus · fish · 32 records Photo: NOAA's Fisheries Collection; Collection of Brandi Noble · public domain · Wikimedia Commons
  2. Picture of mahi-mahi
    Mahi-mahi Coryphaena hippurus · fish · 26 records Photo: Nick Tobler (Cowturtle) · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  3. Picture of Atlantic croaker
    Atlantic croaker Micropogonias undulatus · fish · 26 records Photo: Carvalho-Souza, Gómez & González-Ortegón (2024) · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  4. Picture of bluefish
    Bluefish Pomatomus saltatrix · fish · 25 records Photo: SEFSC Pascagoula Laboratory; Collection of Brandi Noble, NOAA/NMFS/SEFSC. · public domain · Wikimedia Commons
  5. Picture of black sea bass
    Black sea bass Centropristis striata · fish · 22 records Photo: Wikimedia Commons · public domain
  6. Picture of summer flounder
    Summer flounder Paralichthys dentatus · fish · 22 records Photo: U.S. Government - NOAA · public domain · Wikimedia Commons
  7. Picture of southern kingfish
    Southern kingfish Menticirrhus americanus · fish · 18 records Photo: Cláudio D. Timm · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
  8. Picture of weakfish
    Weakfish Cynoscion regalis · fish · 17 records Photo: Northeast Fisheries Science Center, Fisheries Service… · public domain · Wikimedia Commons

These are sightings and catches recorded since 1970 (reports from divers and anglers, scientific surveys and museum collections), not a promise that you will catch them. The months come from sightings only, adjusted for how many there are each month; hatched months have too few to tell.

Source: GBIF.org, which also gathers OBIS data. Only records licensed CC0 or CC BY 4.0, from 1,130 datasets (retrieved October 24, 2026). Where the data comes from

Photos: each species' image on Wikidata (Wikimedia Commons) or, if there isn't one, one from GBIF; only licences that allow this use, each with its author and licence.

What anglers catch most in North Carolina

Recreational saltwater catch across the whole state in September and October (2021–2025 average), from NOAA's recreational fishing survey (MRIP). It counts fish kept and fish released; bait fish are left out.

From shore

Beaches, piers, jetties and rocks

  1. Pinfish 3.3 million 95% released
  2. Bluefish 1.2 million 65% released
  3. Florida pompano 910,000 75% released
  4. Atlantic croaker 870,000 * 95% released
  5. Spot 860,000 75% released

Private or rental boat

Private boats and rentals without a captain

  1. Flounders (Paralichthys) 550,000 95% released
  2. Pinfish 520,000 95% released
  3. Spotted seatrout 480,000 75% released
  4. Black sea bass 380,000 100% released
  5. Atlantic croaker 360,000 70% released

Charter or party boat

Charters and party (head) boats

  1. Bluefish 36,000 30% released
  2. Atlantic Spanish mackerel 26,000 25% released
  3. Mahi-mahi 24,000
  4. Spotted seatrout 23,000 50% released
  5. Red drum 23,000 65% released

Fish a year · * Less precise figure: use with caution

All year: the top three every two months
From shore
MonthsSpecies
Jan–Feb No data
Mar–Apr Kingfish (Menticirrhus), Bluefish, Atlantic croaker
May–Jun Pinfish, Atlantic croaker, Bluefish
Jul–Aug Pinfish, Atlantic croaker, Spot
Sep–Oct Pinfish, Bluefish, Florida pompano
Nov–Dec Kingfish (Menticirrhus), Bluefish, Spotted seatrout
Private or rental boat
MonthsSpecies
Jan–Feb Spotted seatrout, Black sea bass, Red drum
Mar–Apr Spotted seatrout, Black sea bass, Atlantic croaker
May–Jun Atlantic croaker, Spotted seatrout, Atlantic Spanish mackerel
Jul–Aug Atlantic croaker, Flounders (Paralichthys), Black sea bass
Sep–Oct Flounders (Paralichthys), Pinfish, Spotted seatrout
Nov–Dec Spotted seatrout, Black sea bass, Bluefish
Charter or party boat
MonthsSpecies
Jan–Feb Red drum, Blue catfish, Channel catfish
Mar–Apr Bluefish, Red drum, Black sea bass
May–Jun Atlantic Spanish mackerel, Mahi-mahi, Bluefish
Jul–Aug Atlantic cutlassfish, Atlantic Spanish mackerel, Mahi-mahi
Sep–Oct Bluefish, Atlantic Spanish mackerel, Mahi-mahi
Nov–Dec Spotted seatrout, Sheepshead, Red drum

These are estimates from a survey of anglers, not a count, and they cover the whole state, not this exact spot. Each figure is the average for one year in those two months, rounded. Only species with a relative standard error of up to 50% are shown, NOAA's standard; those marked * are between 30% and 50%, and NOAA advises using them with caution.

Source: NOAA Fisheries, Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP), wave-level catch estimates for 2021–2025. Courtesy: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Where the data comes from

Piers, ramps and tackle shops nearby

Map: OpenFreeMap · © OpenMapTiles · © OpenStreetMap contributors

Within 9.3 mi. A spot may be missing or closed. Open the map on OpenStreetMap · Missing one? Add it to OpenStreetMap

Spots: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Overture Maps.

Artificial reefs and wrecks to fish from a boat

Artificial reefs and wrecks draw fish, so they make good spots to fish from a boat. The nearest ones, within 16 mi.

Check the rules before you go: some have closed seasons, protected zones or banned gear. Wreck and reef positions are approximate and not for navigation; a wreck’s depth runs from the top of the hull to the seabed.

US wrecks: NOAA electronic navigational charts (ENC), a U.S. Government work; not for navigation. Artificial reefs: NOAA and BOEM (MarineCadastre.gov), a U.S. Government work.

How we work out the best time

We score every moment of the day, every 10 minutes, with simple rules anglers have used for decades:

  • Tide: 2 to 3.5 points in the hour before and the hour after each high and low tide. Spring tides (high coefficient) score more, because the water moves faster.
  • Solunar: 2.5 points in the major periods (moon overhead or underfoot) and 1.5 in the minor ones (moonrise and moonset).
  • Light: 2 points at dawn and dusk, from first light to the end of the morning golden hour and from the evening golden hour to the end of twilight.
  • Weather: falling pressure adds 1 point and rising pressure takes 1 away; wind takes points away from force 4 (about 12 mph), up to 5 points in a gale; waves of 1.6 ft to 4.9 ft add half a point (they stir up the water) and from 8.2 ft they take points away (up to 4).
  • Best windows: the stretches of 40 minutes to 3 hours with the most points, at least an hour apart.
  • Day's rating out of 10: the best window (up to 5), the moon (up to 2, near new or full moon), the tide coefficient (up to 2) and whether a solunar period lines up with sunrise or sunset (1). Without a tide, we score out of 8 and scale it to 10. Good weather adds up to 1 point and bad weather pulls it down.

Today: best window 4.0 of 5, moon 1 of 2, coefficient 1.5 of 2 and lineup 0 of 1; the weather multiplies the rating by 0.97.

It's a guide, not a guarantee: fish don't read tide tables. Always check the sea conditions and local fishing rules before you go.

Learn more

Fishing rules in Wrightsville Beach

Licenses, size limits, bag limits and closed seasons are set by the authorities and change often. We don't copy them here: check the official website before you go.

Questions about fishing in Wrightsville Beach

What's the best time to fish in Wrightsville Beach today?

3:00 pm to 4:20 pm, with the 3:56 pm low tide, a major period and some swell, though with moderate wind. Also 2:10 am to 3:50 am and 9:50 am to 10:30 am. Today's rating: 6/10 (average day).

What about tomorrow? When's the best time to fish in Wrightsville Beach?

Tomorrow, Thursday, October 29: 3:50 pm to 5:20 pm, with a rating of 7/10.

Which day this week is best for fishing in Wrightsville Beach?

Thursday, October 29, at 7/10. Its best window is 3:50 pm to 5:20 pm.

What can you catch in Wrightsville Beach?

Sport fishing species with the most records within about 19 mi of Wrightsville Beach: spot, mahi-mahi, Atlantic croaker, bluefish and black sea bass. October is one of the months when these are seen most: black sea bass and summer flounder. These are sightings and catches recorded in GBIF and OBIS, not a promise that you will catch them.

When are the solunar periods in Wrightsville Beach today?

Major: 1:46–3:46 am and 2:18–4:18 pm. Minor: 9:54–10:54 am and 7:39–8:39 pm. Solunar activity today: medium.

Does the tide affect fishing in Wrightsville Beach?

Yes. Today high tide is at 9:25 am and 9:39 pm and low tide at 3:05 am and 3:56 pm, with a tide coefficient of 86 (average tides). The hours around each tide change tend to fish best, because moving water carries food.

How is the rating worked out?

From the tide, the solunar periods, the light at dawn and dusk, the moon phase and, when we have the forecast, the pressure, the wind and the waves. Each factor gives a fixed number of points and the rating sums them up out of 10.

Does it take the weather into account?

Yes. During today's best window: steady pressure (30.21 inHg), moderate onshore wind (14 mph) and some swell (3.9 ft waves) to stir the water. Strong wind and big waves lower the rating; falling pressure raises it a little.

What are the fishing rules in Wrightsville Beach?

Recreational fishing rules in Wrightsville Beach (licenses, size limits, bag limits and closed seasons) are set by the authorities: North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries (NC DEQ); offshore, NOAA Fisheries. They change often: check the official website before you go.

More about Wrightsville Beach today

Our own calculation: tide from Wrightsville Beach (NOAA), sun and moon with astronomy-engine and, when available, weather and sea from Open-Meteo (ECMWF, NOAA GFS and Copernicus Marine, CC BY 4.0). Slackwater database (https://github.com/openwatersio/slackwater-database)

Spotted a mistake? Tell us · How we calculate the tides

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