Share
Angling action rates excellent along the coast and generally good on the lakes.
Large red drum and puppy drum are hitting in the Outer Banks surf, along with black drum, blues, flounder, spots and whiting.
The Piedmont lakes are producing lots of white perch, and catches of crappie and largemouth bass are improving.
Lake Norman-Schooling striped bass near the N.C. 150 bridge and between Markers 20 and 24 on the main channel. Also up the Mountain Creek arm. Largemouth and spotted bass on points. Catfish on cut baits. Plentiful white perch lake-wide on minnows and Sabiki rigs fished 15-40 feet deep.
Lake Wylie-Improving almost daily for crappie, mainly on minnows. Largemouth on topwater lures cast to surface-feeding schools during early morning and late afternoon (and all day when the sky is overcast). White perch around humps and over sandy bottom.
Mountain Island Lake-Mainly bream and catfish. Better numbers of crappie.
Lakes Badin, Tillery, Blewett Falls-Bream, catfish and white perch. Improving for crappie and largemouth.
High Rock Lake-Largemouth on artificial worms, skirted spinnerbaits. Crappie on minnows, trolled jigs and sliders.
Lakes Hickory, Rhodhiss-Both continue to produce bream, catfish and crappie.
Lake James-Smallmouth bass on shiners worked around the points. Walleye on crawlers.
Fontana Lake-Limit catches of smallmouth on lures trolled about 30 feet off the shoreline. Hopkins spoons and Bandit crankbaits in the hot chocolate color pattern are working best.
Lake Wateree-Catfish on drift-fished cut baits. Stripers on topwater lures cast to surfacing schools.
Lake Murray-Stripers to 20 pounds on the surface at the dam during early morning and then through the day on trolled lures.
Lake Hartwell-Smallish stripers and hybrids lake-wide in surfacing schools. Improving for crappie and largemouth.
Lake Keowee-Largemouth and spotted bass on lures worked 5-15 feet deep.
Lake Marion-Greatly improved for crappie, with fish up to 2 pounds reported. Largemouth also are hitting well, taking soft plastic lures around shallow cover.
Outer Banks-Nags Head area: Lots of blues in the surf and at piers, plus puppy drum and trout. Oregon Inlet: Blackfin and yellowfin tuna, wahoo offshore. Blues, flounder, puppy drum and trout in the sound.
Hatteras Island: Plentiful whiting in the surf just south of the old lighthouse site at Buxton; big drum at Avon Pier and Cape Point. Ocracoke Island: Big red drum for anglers fishing from boats at the inlet. Small blues, pompano in the surf.
Morehead City area: King mackerel just off the beach. Blues and Spanish mackerel in the surf. Lots of spots near the Beaufort Inlet Drawbridge. Puppy drum and speckled trout in the backwaters. Sailfish, wahoo offshore.
Southeastern N.C. Coast-King mackerel offshore at an area known as The 390. Wahoo to 70 pounds offshore. Spanish mackerel just off the beach at Ocean Isle. Trout in the Bald Head Island and Southport creeks. Black drum, blues, pompano, Spanish mackerel, spots, trout and whiting at piers.
S.C. Coast-Little River: Big red drum at the jetties. Smaller reds and trout in the creeks. Grand Strand area: Blackfin tuna, dolphin, king mackerel, sailfish and wahoo offshore. Reds, sheepshead at the Murrells Inlet and Georgetown jetties. Reds and trout in the backwaters. Blues, pompano, spots and whiting at piers.
Hilton Head area: Big red drum and Spanish mackerel just offshore. Good to excellent for reds, trout inshore.
