Northern District NCDMF Fishing Report



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Northern District: Dare, Hyde, Currituck and Beaufort Counties
Contact: Brian Melott
For the 2010 fishing year, all owners/operators of vessels recreationally fishing for and/or retaining regulated Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) (Atlantic tunas, sharks, swordfish and billfish) in the Atlantic Ocean, including the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea, must obtain an Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Angling permit. This permit has replaced the Atlantic tunas Angling category permit. In North Carolina, additional HMS harvest reporting requirements are also in place. To obtain a permit go to: http://www.hmspermits.gov.

Report a tagged fish

Please Note: Anglers sometimes confuse small king mackerel with Spanish mackerel. King mackerel and spanish mackerel have different size and catch limits. Make SURE you properly identify the mackerel you are catching. (Tips here)
A recreational Recreational Fishing License went into effect Jan. 1, 2007 for all of the state's coastal and ocean waters.

Click here for the latest seasons, size and bag limits.

Ocean: Winter anglers catch plenty of yellowfin tuna, when conditions permit, along with a few wahoo and dolphin, to make for some good offshore action. Midrange anglers target striped bass and red drum during the winter season with moderate to good success. Find a regional fishing website that reports daily catches or contact a local tackle shop for up-to-date fishing reports.
Inlets/Sounds/Bays: Inshore activity will be heavy when weather conditions permit with most anglers targeting striped bass. They are often found throughout the Roanoke, Croatan and northern Pamlico sounds, especially near bridges or any other structure. There will also be some good winter catches of spotted seatrout and red drum (they have been everywhere throughout the year). A good place to try is Oregon Inlet's Green Island Slough from pre-dawn to mid-morning hours.

Piers/Beaches- Piers are currently closed, most will re-open around Easter. Beach anglers can have a tough time fishing this time of year due to rough surf and adverse weather, but once again, when conditions permit, some of the largest red drum and striped bass are taken from the surf. Bluefish blitzes can happen this time of year and offer anglers some short-term active fishing. Don’t forget about the possibility of some excellent speckled trout surf fishing this winter on the beaches from Rodanthe southward.

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