UPDATEDAUTO-REFRESH 5 MIN
Gray triggerfishShoulder seasonGut · North Carolina
Cape Fear Slue
33.83°N · 77.96°W · Gut · Coastal waters from Cape Fear NC to Little River Inlet SC out 20 NM
Species here · tap to switch
- Best of all
- King mackerel73
- Atlantic croaker72
- Crevalle jack71
- Spot69
- Gray snapper67
- Summer flounder67
- Red drum66
- Atlantic tarpon64
- Black sea bass63
- Florida pompano60
- Spanish mackerel60
- Black drum58
- Gray triggerfish57
- Red snapper57
- Weakfish57
- Gag grouper56
- Little tunny55
- Red grouper55
- Sheepshead55
- Cobia53
- Greater amberjack53
- Mahi-mahi53
- Wahoo49
- Bluefish35
- Sailfish35
- Yellowfin tuna35
- Southern flounder30
- Spotted seatrout30
Best score today · 8 AM · Gray triggerfish
- Now
- 578 AM EDT
- Best window
- 8-10 AMEbb tide
- Tide now
- Ebbing3.0 ft ▼
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Cape Fear Slue scores 75+
Checked every morning against the 14-day forecast. Free by push and email.
14-day forecast
Best days to fish
24-hour conditions · rolling from now
Conditions · 8 AM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS
100Tide: EbbingCurrent: 0.5 kn ebbWind & pressure
ECMWF
92Wind: 11 kt NNEPressure: RisingWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
69Water temp: 81°F, primeLight: DawnSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 3.6 ftSeason & habitat · Gray triggerfish
Species seasonality
44Season: ShoulderHabitat: Poor fitDepth: Out of rangeRegulations: no rule on file
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
No rule for Gray triggerfish is on file here yet, so its status is unknown, not closed. Confirm limits with NCDMF before you keep a fish.
Source: NCDMF · synced yesterday
Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed
When Gray triggerfish is best here
Shoulder season for Gray triggerfish · 5 more weeks at shoulder
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
Cape Fear Slue
- Depth
- 3-9 ftFlat bottom
- Structure
- Channel · Outer · ExposedChannel · flat bottom
- Season
- Shoulder seasonGray triggerfish
NOAA NCEI DEM, sampled Sep 13 on a 3.4 m grid. Depths are feet below NAVD 88, not chart datum (MLLW), so they can differ from a chart by a few feet. Not for navigation.
About this spot
Fishing Cape Fear Slue
Cape Fear Slue is a gut in Coastal waters from Cape Fear NC to Little River Inlet SC out 20 NM, North Carolina. Depth is 3-9 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads channel, outer water and exposed.
Waterlands scores 28 species here; the best right now are king mackerel, Atlantic croaker and crevalle jack. It is peak season now for king mackerel, Atlantic croaker, crevalle jack and spot, and shoulder season for black sea bass, Florida pompano, Spanish mackerel and black drum. King mackerel peak in May and from September through October. Atlantic croaker peak from August through October. Crevalle jack peak from July through October.
Tackle & technique
- Gray triggerfish
- Gray triggerfish hover a few feet over reefs, wrecks and ledges, usually in 60 to 200 feet, and often show up while snapper fishing. Use small, strong circle hooks with small pieces of squid or cut bait on a short bottom rig, because they nibble and strip big baits. Keep the bait just off the bottom and reel steadily at the first solid pull.
- King mackerel
- Kings roam from beaches and pier ends out to reefs, wrecks and ledges in 40 to 200 feet, usually feeding in the upper half of the water column. Slow-troll live menhaden, blue runners or cigar minnows on a light wire stinger rig, or pull spoons and ribbonfish past bait schools. Look for clean green water above 68 F with bait and birds on it.
- Atlantic croaker
- Croaker feed on mud and sand bottom along channel edges, oyster bars, piers and deeper holes in bays and sounds, mostly in 5 to 30 feet of water. A two-hook bottom rig with small hooks and shrimp, bloodworm or squid catches them from piers, the surf and small boats. Fish the hours around high tide and into the evening.
Nearby spots
Other spots within an easy run
- Bald Head74
Cape · 3.8 mi
Top: Crevalle jackPeak season- Crevalle jack 74
- King mackerel 73
- Atlantic croaker 70
11 kt NNEL 11:15 AM · 0.8 ftH 6:04 PM · 5.2 ft
- Bald Head Channel Range74
Channel · 4.2 mi
Top: Crevalle jackPeak season- Crevalle jack 74
- Atlantic croaker 73
- King mackerel 73
11 kt NNEL 11:15 AM · 0.8 ftH 6:04 PM · 5.2 ft
- Frying Pan Shoals73
Bar · 2.1 mi
Top: King mackerelPeak season- King mackerel 73
- Crevalle jack 70
- Atlantic croaker 69
11 kt NNEL 11:40 AM · 0.7 ftH 6:02 PM · 5.1 ft
- Four Mile Slue70
Gut · 3.8 mi
Top: Crevalle jackPeak season- Crevalle jack 70
- Atlantic croaker 69
- King mackerel 67
11 kt NNEL 11:40 AM · 0.7 ftH 6:02 PM · 5.1 ft
Scores and forecasts are for planning only and can be wrong. Conditions on the water change fast; check the marine forecast before you go. Regulations change during the season, so confirm limits and closures with NCDMF before you keep a fish.