7 NC Fishing Destinations to Hook Your Sense of Adventure
One of the best ways to explore North Carolina’s waterways is by fishing them. Whether you’re angling for saltwater game fish from a pristine beach, soaking up the sunset on a lakeside fishing pier, or traversing 4,000 miles of wild and stocked trout streams, going fishing in NC is a great way to (often literally) immerse yourself in nature.
Angling is also an outdoor activity that puts you in direct contact — hopefully often, if the fish are biting! — with wildlife. And with NC fishing destinations taking you through some of the state’s most vibrant and most sensitive ecosystems, it’s all the more crucial that we know how to cast out with care.
Ready to hook one of NC’s resident fish species, from year-round favorites like grouper, snapper and bass to seasonal stars like red drum, mackerel and the fall run of trout? Below, we’ll walk you through some of our go-to destinations for the best fishing in NC for first-timers and seasoned pros alike. And we’ll also explore tips for ethical fishing, including catch and release practices, so that life on the water here can keep being enjoyed for generations to come.
7 NC Fishing Destinations for an Off-the-Beaten Pond Adventure
Ideal Fishing in NC: Freshwater
- Revel in the uniqueness of Lake Fontana. There’s almost always something biting at Lake Fontana, from the smallmouth and largemouth bass here year-round to spring runs of walleye, white bass, steelhead, crappie, bluegill and yellow perch. Surprised to see these names so far south? Lake Fontana’s cold depths house many species typically associated with Northern lakes. Case in point: Even Muskies live here!
- See the seasons change from the nation’s first fly fishing trail. The Western North Carolina Fly Fishing Trail, stocked with over 92,000 trout annually, winds through Appalachian streams, rhododendron groves, open meadows and charming mountain towns. It also encompasses a stretch of the Tuckasegee River, or “The Tuck” This go-to fly fishing spot teams with brook, brown and rainbow from the fall through spring. To score a “Tuck Grand Slam” winner, catch all three.
- Reel in a big one at Jordan Lake. Just outside of Raleigh, Jordan Lake is a nearly 14,000-acre “trophy” fishery full of bass, catfish, crappie, perch and sunfish. The lake’s special claim to fame, though, is the size of its bass, including a hefty “F1 Hybrid Bass” recently stocked by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission and Bass Anglers for NC Lakes. Largemouth, smallmouth, striped and white bass are also yours for the catching.
- Appreciate all the Roanoke River has to offer. The longest river in NC, the Roanoke, stretches from Appalachia through the bucolic Piedmont region and into the Albemarle Sound. Because of that, it’s home to many anadromous fish species, or fish that can survive in both saltwater and freshwater. A lot of anglers like to stick to freshwater spaces where these fish come in to spawn, though, like the rapids near Weldon, known for their striped bass run.
Ideal Fishing in NC: Saltwater
- Catch the start of the Mullet Run from the Northern Outer Banks. Or meet the mullets mid-travels at the mouth of the Cape Fear River or on the coast of Bogue Banks. Known for attracting bigger predators like redfish, speckled trout and flounder, mullets migrate down North Carolina’s coast each fall. To join the fun, give surf fishing a spin, take a kayak to an inlet, or fly fish in flats and marshes. For the past 70 years and counting, the Mullet Festival in Swansboro has been a favorite fall stop, too.
- Head to Ocracoke Island for world-renowned surf fishing (plus pirate history)! Despite its size — the village of Ocracoke is just four square miles in area — this island offers a diversity of settings for anglers, from inlets and marshes to its sound. Here, fish for everything from drum, bluefish and flounder to Spanish mackerel, pompano, croaker, sea mullets and marlins. As far as pirate history goes, Ocracoke is where the infamous pirate Blackbeard was killed, and his headless body is believed to be buried somewhere on the island.
- See who’s hanging out at Carolina Beach’s shipwrecks. A vibrant coastal town 15 miles from Wilmington, Carolina Beach offers opportunities for anglers in just about every direction. Take an offshore charter to go after the big catches that shelter around shipwrecks, like blue and white marlin, or take an inshore charter to crab or clam in shallow tidal flats. The list of what you can catch in and around Carolina Beach is vast, from striped bass, speckled trout, flounder, cobia and Spanish mackerel to yellowfin blackfin tuna, mahi-mahi and wahoo.
5 Outdoor NC Leave No Trace Tips for NC Angling Adventures
To cover all of the best fishing in NC, the truth is we’d be here awhile. North Carolina has thousands of miles of streams, shorelines, rivers, lakes and gulf stream waters teaming with a variety of species and trophy game fish. That makes NC something of an anglers’ paradise for casual anglers and serious sportsmen alike.
We can keep it that way by doing our part to keep NC’s watery habitats and all their aquatic residents healthy. For starters, ethical angling practices like catch and release ensure we don’t contribute to overfishing, which has led some fish populations to decline in NC. Instead, with catch and release, we give vulnerable species and still-maturing fish the time and space to repopulate, helping them thrive for generations to come.
For more socially responsible fishing practices, bookmark these Outdoor NC Leave No Trace tips for a stewardship-minded angling adventure.
PLAN AHEAD AND PREPARE
Doing your research and knowing your destination’s catch and release guidelines before grabbing your rod helps you learn an area’s different fish species and avoid accidental contributions to overfishing. It also gives you time to find ethical and appropriate gear, like barbless hooks, which help ensure fishes’ odds of survival upon release.
While researching, be sure to look up any local fishing and boating regulations — like size, species and bag limits, as well as types of fishing equipment and bait allowed — for the area you plan to fish. And make sure you’ve obtained a fishing license. They’re required for anyone over 16 to fish public saltwater or freshwater in North Carolina.
LEAVE IT AS YOU FIND IT
When we fish, we enter a natural habitat, plain and simple. You can respect that habitat and the creatures who call it home by sticking to established fishing spots and walking on designated trails and durable surfaces, like rock, to reach them.
Preserve the vegetation around you, and refrain from building rock dams or otherwise modifying the natural environment. Both can have lasting impacts on an ecosystem’s health. Be aware of state and local regulations, and follow any posted signage to ensure fishing access for future visitors to enjoy.
Contain your containers
Fishing equipment typically involves lightweight bits and bobs that can easily wind up in the water if stored improperly, contributing to pollution and causing hazards to aquatic life.
Secure things like bait containers to prevent them from being blown into the ocean, lakes or rivers, and seal these containers when not using them to prevent wildlife from gaining access to potentially unhealthy food sources.
MIND YOUR LINES
Monofilament fishing line can be lethal to wildlife if they become entangled or swallow it. Help protect birds, fish and other wildlife from death or injury by learning the proper way to cut your line when it’s caught on rocks, and retrieve any lost or discarded line. Use monofilament tubes to store and later dispose of fishing line and hooks.
TRASH YOUR TRASH
Opt for reusable tackle boxes and bait containers when possible to minimize waste, and pack these up — as well as any other gear, food scraps and trash you may have generated — when you’re ready to call it a day. Even small pieces of litter can be dangerous to wildlife and pose a safety hazard to others enjoying NC’s waterways.
If local regulations permit you to keep and cook any of your catches, make sure you know your destination’s rules for disposing of fish remains. Some places may require you to bury fish guts in a designated area or prohibit dumping in certain spots. If you can’t dispose of the guts immediately, put them in a sealed bag and keep them with you until you can. Improperly disposing of fish remains by dumping them in the water, for example, can hurt an area’s water quality and disrupt wildlife.
You’re invited to join the outdoor nc movement
Join the movement to preserve and protect North Carolina’s beloved outdoor spaces and you’ll be entered to win a ENO double nest hammock and hanging straps! Together we can preserve our beloved outdoor spaces for generations to come. Click to learn more.
