Waterlands

Species guide · North Carolina

Weakfish fishing in North Carolina

Cynoscion regalis, an inshore species also called gray trout, squeteague and tiderunner. Listed for the South Atlantic region. Peak season, about 4 more weeks.

Right now it scores best in Currituck Sound at 74, 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: Off season
  3. Mar: Off season
  4. Apr: Shoulder 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: Oct to Nov. In season (shoulder or peak): Apr to May, Sep to Jan.

Research notes, South Atlantic region

Main wintering grounds lie on the shelf from Chesapeake Bay to Cape Lookout, and some fish stay in North Carolina sounds and inlets. North Carolina catches are best in fall and early winter at inlets and nearshore structure; weakfish are present but uncommon in South Carolina and Georgia estuaries.

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 weakfish score this hour.

1
74Great
Currituck Sound

Best window today 10 PM-12 AM (75) · Best day Tue, Nov 3 at 6 AM (81) · 75 named spots

2
74Great
Pamlico and Pungo Rivers

Best window today 10 PM-12 AM (74) · Best day Mon, Nov 2 at 6 AM (79) · 134 named spots

3
71Great
Croatan and Roanoke Sounds

Best window today 10 PM-12 AM (72) · Best day Tue, Nov 3 at 7 AM (87) · 49 named spots

4
71Great
Neuse and Bay Rivers

Best window today 10 PM-12 AM (74) · Best day Sun, Nov 8 at 11 PM (81) · 260 named spots

5
69Great
Pamlico Sound

Best window today 10 PM-12 AM (70) · Best day Tue, Nov 3 at 7 AM (81) · 331 named spots

6
65Great
Albemarle Sound

Best window today 10 PM-12 AM (69) · Best day Tue, Nov 3 at 7 AM (78) · 21 named spots

7
65Great
Alligator River

Best window today 11 PM-12 AM (71) · Best day Mon, Nov 2 at 6 AM (81) · 26 named spots

8
52Good
Coastal waters from Cape Fear NC to Little River Inlet SC out 20 NM

Best window today 10 PM-12 AM (52) · Best day Thu, Nov 5 at 8 AM (81) · 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 Thu, Nov 12 at 7 AM (77) · 1 named spot

How and where it feeds

Water temperature
Feeds from 55°F to 82°F, best between 59°F and 74°F.
Water depth
3 to 60 ft of water.
Structure
Channel, inlet, bridge, grass, oyster, jetty, bay and estuary, in that order of preference.
Tide and current
Prefers moving water and incoming tide, with moderate current.Weakfish feed along channel edges and grass lines when the tide is moving. The incoming tide that brings clean water is the usual choice in bays; the ebb at inlets and bridges also concentrates bait.
Light
Bites best around dawn and dusk; feeds at night too.
Pressure
Little response to pressure changes.
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

Weakfish hold along channel edges, grass beds, oyster bars and bridge shadows in bays and sounds, usually in 5 to 40 feet of water, and feed hardest at dawn, dusk and after dark. Swim soft plastics or bucktails slowly near the bottom, or drift peeler crab and bloodworms. They have soft mouths, so keep the drag light and the pressure steady.

Methods
casting, drift fishing, bottom fishing, jigging
Lures
soft plastic shads and worms on jig heads, bucktail jigs, metal slab jigs, speck rigs, small swimming plugs
Bait
peeler or shedder crab, bloodworms, squid strips, grass shrimp

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 weakfish rule for North Carolina is on file yet. Check with NCDMF before you keep one.

Other North Carolina species