Waterlands

Species guide · North Carolina

Florida pompano fishing in North Carolina

Trachinotus carolinus, a surf species also called pompano and common pompano. Listed for the South Atlantic region. Shoulder season, about 1 more week.

Right now it scores best in Coastal waters from Cape Fear NC to Little River Inlet SC out 20 NM at 64, one of 9 North Carolina bay systems where the Waterlands engine is scoring it.

Season now

Shoulder season
Where it's scoring nowAll North Carolina waters

Season by month

From the Waterlands saltwater species research: when the fish are present and biting, not whether retention is open.

South Atlantic

Shoulder season, about 1 more week
  1. Jan: Shoulder season
  2. Feb: Shoulder season
  3. Mar: Peak season
  4. Apr: Peak season
  5. May: Shoulder season
  6. Jun: Off season
  7. Jul: Off season
  8. Aug: Off season
  9. Sep: Shoulder season
  10. Oct: Peak season
  11. Nov: Peak season
  12. Dec: Shoulder season

Peak: Mar to Apr, Oct to Nov. In season (shoulder or peak): Sep to May.

Research notes, South Atlantic region

Northbound run through northeast Florida, Georgia and South Carolina in spring, southbound in fall. The Treasure Coast holds fish through winter. North Carolina surf catches are mostly late summer and fall.

Seasons and limits in these notes are background. The regulations below and the regulator’s own page govern.

Where it's scoring now · 9

North Carolina bay systems ranked by the Waterlands engine's florida pompano score this hour.

1
64Good
Coastal waters from Cape Fear NC to Little River Inlet SC out 20 NM

Best window today 8 PM-12 AM (64) · Best day Sat, Sep 26 at 7 PM (76) · 7 named spots

2
63Good
Pamlico Sound

Best window today 8-10 PM (63) · Best day Sat, Sep 26 at 7 PM (71) · 331 named spots

3
60Good
Neuse and Bay Rivers

Best window today 8-10 PM (60) · Best day Sat, Sep 26 at 7 AM (70) · 260 named spots

4
59Good
Pamlico and Pungo Rivers

Best window today 8-10 PM (59) · Best day Wed, Sep 30 at 5 PM (66) · 134 named spots

5
57Good
Croatan and Roanoke Sounds

Best window today 8 PM-12 AM (59) · Best day Sat, Sep 26 at 7 AM (71) · 49 named spots

6
57Good
Currituck Sound

Best window today 8 PM-12 AM (57) · Best day Mon, Sep 21 at 5 PM (68) · 75 named spots

7
55Good
Coastal waters from Surf City to Cape Fear NC out 20 nm

Best window today 8 PM-12 AM (60) · Best day Sat, Sep 26 at 5 PM (71) · 1 named spot

8
53Good
Alligator River

Best window today 8-9 PM (53) · Best day Fri, Sep 25 at 7 AM (68) · 26 named spots

9
50Good
Albemarle Sound

Best window today 8 PM-12 AM (52) · Best day Sat, Sep 26 at 7 AM (65) · 21 named spots

How and where it feeds

Water temperature
Feeds from 62°F to 88°F, best between 68°F and 82°F.
Water depth
2 to 20 ft of water.
Structure
Surf, beach, bar, pass, inlet, jetty and pier, in that order of preference.
Tide and current
Prefers incoming tide and high tide, with moderate current.FWC notes tides drive local pompano movement. Surf anglers favor the rising tide, when fish move into the trough behind the first bar to feed on sand fleas and coquinas. At passes and bridges they feed along sandy edges on moving water.
Light
Some lift around dawn and dusk.
Pressure
Little response to pressure changes.
Wind and sea limits
20 kt of wind and 5 ft of sea. The Waterlands engine scores hours down as conditions pass them.

Tackle and technique

Pompano feed on sand fleas and coquina clams in the trough between the beach and the first sandbar, and around the sandy edges of passes, inlets and bridges. Surf anglers fish a two-hook pompano rig with sand fleas, clams or shrimp, while boat and bridge anglers bounce small jigs along the bottom. The runs follow water temperature, heading north in spring and south in fall as the water cools.

Methods
surf fishing, bottom fishing, jigging from boats and bridges, pier fishing
Lures
pompano jig (banana or goofy jig), small bucktail with teaser, flea fly
Bait
sand flea (mole crab), coquina clam, fresh shrimp, clam strip, Fishbites strip

Regulations

NCDMF saltwater regulations Buy a North Carolina fishing license License types

North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries. Synced with NCDMF Sep 18, 2026.

No reviewed florida pompano rule for North Carolina is on file yet. Check with NCDMF before you keep one.

Other North Carolina species