Waterlands

Species guide · North Carolina

Red drum fishing in North Carolina

Sciaenops ocellatus, an inshore species also called redfish, reds and puppy drum. Listed for the South Atlantic region. Peak season, about 4 more weeks.

Right now it scores best in Pamlico and Pungo Rivers at 71, one of 9 North Carolina bay systems where the Waterlands engine is scoring it.

Season now

Peak 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

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

Peak: Aug to Nov. In season (shoulder or peak): all year.

Research notes, South Atlantic region

Resident in Florida east coast lagoons, Georgia and South Carolina marsh year-round, with winter schools on clear low-tide flats. Pamlico Sound bull reds run July through September and the Outer Banks surf peaks in October and November.

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 red drum score this hour.

1
71Great
Pamlico and Pungo Rivers

Best window today 10 PM-12 AM (71) · Best day Thu, Nov 5 at 8 AM (83) · 134 named spots

2
70Great
Currituck Sound

Best window today 10 PM-12 AM (70) · Best day Wed, Nov 4 at 8 AM (82) · 75 named spots

3
69Great
Neuse and Bay Rivers

Best window today 10 PM-12 AM (71) · Best day Thu, Nov 5 at 8 AM (82) · 260 named spots

4
66Great
Croatan and Roanoke Sounds

Best window today 10 PM-12 AM (67) · Best day Wed, Nov 4 at 8 AM (85) · 49 named spots

5
65Great
Pamlico Sound

Best window today 10 PM-12 AM (66) · Best day Tue, Nov 3 at 7 AM (81) · 331 named spots

6
64Good
Albemarle Sound

Best window today 10 PM-12 AM (67) · Best day Wed, Nov 4 at 8 AM (81) · 21 named spots

7
64Good
Alligator River

Best window today 10 PM-12 AM (68) · Best day Mon, Nov 2 at 6 AM (82) · 26 named spots

8
48Good
Coastal waters from Cape Fear NC to Little River Inlet SC out 20 NM

Best window today 10 PM-12 AM (48) · Best day Tue, Nov 10 at 5 PM (82) · 7 named spots

9
30Fair
Coastal waters from Surf City to Cape Fear NC out 20 nm

Best window today 10 PM-12 AM (30) · Best day Tue, Nov 10 at 1 PM (77) · 1 named spot

How and where it feeds

Water temperature
Feeds from 52°F to 92°F, best between 65°F and 84°F.
Water depth
1 to 40 ft of water.
Structure
Flat, oyster, marsh, grass, channel, pass and surf, in that order of preference.
Tide and current
Prefers incoming tide and outgoing tide, with moderate current.A flooding tide lets reds push onto grass flats and into flooded marsh to feed, where they often tail. A falling tide pulls bait out of creeks, so fish creek mouths, drains and oyster bar points. Very low winter tides concentrate fish in potholes and creek channels.
Light
Bites best around dawn and dusk; feeds at night too.
Pressure
Tends to feed as pressure falls ahead of weather.
Wind and sea limits
18 kt of wind and 3 ft of sea. The Waterlands engine scores hours down as conditions pass them.

Tackle and technique

Redfish feed on shallow grass flats, oyster bars and marsh edges, often in 1 to 4 feet of water, and drop into channels, deep holes and tidal creeks when the water turns very hot or cold. Work a live shrimp under a popping cork or a soft plastic along the grass line on a rising tide, then fish creek mouths and drains as the tide falls. Bull reds over 30 inches school in the surf, passes and jetties in late summer and fall, where cut mullet or a live crab on the bottom is the standard approach.

Methods
sight casting, popping cork, bottom fishing, surf fishing, fly fishing, wade fishing
Lures
gold spoon, soft plastic paddle tail, soft plastic shrimp, jighead and grub, topwater plug, shallow-running plug, crab or shrimp fly
Bait
live shrimp, finger mullet, mud minnow, blue crab, cut mullet, pinfish, Atlantic croaker

Regulations

NCDMF saltwater regulations Buy a North Carolina fishing license License types

North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries. Synced with NCDMF Oct 31, 2026.

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

Other North Carolina species