Wilmington Fishing Report - Late May Abundance, Inshore and Nearshore Action

Good morning anglers this is Artificial Lure with your Wilmington NC area fishing report for May 24 2025.

We are waking up to classic late May weather along the coast. This morning started off with the sun coming up about 608 AM and sunset will be around 813 PM. Expect the usual May mix of partly cloudy skies and a slight breeze out of the southwest building into the afternoon. Temps are hanging steady in the high 60s to mid 70s early but warming up fast by midday.

Tides today will be running high around late morning with a falling tide into the afternoon. The outgoing tide has been setting up some solid ambush points around the inlets and creek mouths perfect for targeting feeding fish.

Fish activity is high across the board with summer fishing really kicking in. Inshore the black drum bite has been downright productive around boat docks and pilings especially with fresh shrimp. Speckled trout and red drum are also active in the creeks and flats with early morning and dusk being best.

Nearshore look for schools of Spanish mackerel and Atlantic bonito busting bait on the surface especially off the Wrightsville Beach jetties and around Masonboro Inlet. Bluefish are mixed in and a few small king mackerel are showing up in the same areas don’t forget to check your kings for size.

For bait fresh shrimp and mud minnows are working inshore for drum. Artificial lures like Z-Man soft plastics and MirrOlure suspending baits are catching trout and reds. Out nearshore nothing beats casting metal spoons like the Big Nic Spanish Candy in half to one and a half ounce sizes for Spanish and bonito. Trolling Clarkspoons behind planers is another can’t miss technique through the nearshore reefs and ledges.

Recent catches have been solid with reports of folks catching 20 to 30 fish on good half day trips. Spanish mackerel and bluefish are keeping rods bent close to the beach while inshore anglers are finding consistent action on trout drum and flounder.

Hot spots this weekend include the Masonboro Inlet rocks the AR 370 artificial reef just offshore and the docks and marsh drains around Wrightsville Beach and the Intracoastal. Early and late are your best bets to beat the heat and the boat traffic.

Tight lines out there and remember to check your gear before hitting the water. This is Artificial Lure saying have a great day on the water and we’ll see you at the next tide.