June 17, 2026
Mid-June Wilmington: Morning Bites and Falling Tides Keep Inshore Fish Chewing
This is Artificial Lure with your Wilmington, North Carolina fishing report.
We’re working a mid‑June pattern now. Air temps are running in the low 70s early, pushing into the mid‑80s by afternoon, with light southwest to south winds most days and the usual sticky coastal humidity. Skies are partly cloudy with a good chance of pop‑up thunderstorms after lunch when that sea breeze kicks in, so plan morning and late‑day trips and keep an eye on the horizon.
Water temps around the Cape Fear, ICW, and beaches are sitting in the upper 70s to low 80s, which has inshore fish chewing best on the moving tides. Sunrise is right around 6 o’clock, with sunset close to 8:30, giving you a long window to work that low‑light bite.
Tides today around Masonboro Inlet run a morning high just after daybreak with a good falling tide through mid‑morning, then an afternoon low and a late‑day flood. That dropping water has been the ticket all week—bait gets flushed off the flats and the predators stack on the edges.
Inshore, red drum have been steady in the creeks off the ICW and along the marsh banks from Figure Eight down to Carolina Beach. Most fish are slot‑sized, with a few over‑slots mixed in. Anglers have been doing well on live mud minnows and finger mullet under popping corks, and on cut mullet on the bottom near creek mouths. Artificial‑wise, 3–4 inch paddle‑tail plastics in natural “mullet” or “salt and pepper” colors on 1/8–1/4 oz jig heads are money, especially bounced along shell points.
Speckled trout are still hanging in there despite the heat, especially at first light along deeper banks, dock lines, and the jetties. MirrOlure MR17s, small suspending twitch baits, and 3 inch soft plastics on light jigs are producing. If you’re throwing live bait, small shrimp or mullet on a light cork rig will get bit. Expect mostly schoolies with a few nicer keepers in the mix.
Flounder are showing decent numbers around docks, bridge pilings, and sandy drops near the inlets. Folks soaking live finger mullet, mud minnows, or gulp‑style soft plastics on 1/4–3/8 oz jig heads are picking up enough fish to keep it interesting. Work slow, right along the bottom, and be patient on the hookset.
Nearshore, just off Wrightsville and Carolina Beach, small kings and Spanish mackerel are cruising the nearshore reefs and bait balls. Trolling Clark spoons behind planers, or small bow‑colored spoons, has been very productive. Early and late have also produced some nice topwater Spanish on small glass‑minnow‑style plugs and tiny metals burned just under the surface.
On the surf, whiting, pompano, and the odd bluefish are coming off the bars on shrimp, sand fleas, and Fishbites. Use double‑drop rigs with 2–3 oz pyramid sinkers and keep your baits in the deeper sloughs, especially on a rising tide.
A couple of local hot spots to consider:
- Masonboro Inlet jetties: solid mix of reds, trout, and flounder on the falling tide, especially with live bait and jigged soft plastics.
- Snows Cut and the nearby ICW docks: good current, plenty of structure, and a nice blend of reds and flounder, with a shot at trout in the early hours.
If you’re packing the tackle bag, don’t leave home without: 1/8–1/4 oz jig heads, 3–4 inch paddle tails in natural colors, a couple of topwaters and suspending plugs for early morning, and plenty of live or cut mullet and shrimp if you’re fishing bait.
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