North Carolina · United States

Beaufort NC Inlet fishing forecast

60 Good of 100

Beaufort NC Inlet is a saltwater fishing spot in North Carolina, United States. Anglers here target Red Drum, Bluefish, King Mackerel. The most productive months are typically April, May, June, July, August, September, October.

Quick answer

Best monthsApril, May, June, July

Top speciesRed Drum, Bluefish, King Mackerel

Score now60/100

Local rulesUnited States — Federal Waters

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Today’s verdict

Trending down — 5 points below this spot’s 7-day average

Score confidence ±4 points, from 8 live signals

The statistical model disagrees with the physics model here today — treat this score with extra caution.

Helping the score most

Water temperature+25.0Chlorophyll+12.6Waves+9.0

Pressure trend

Pressure stable — fish feeding on their usual rhythm

Next solunar peak

major 08:54

Current conditions

Live conditions are temporarily unavailable for this spot (last data Oct 1, 2026). Seasonal and regulation info below is unaffected.

What the score means at Beaufort NC Inlet

Beaufort NC Inlet currently scores 60 out of 100 (Good). Water temperature is 23.0 °C. 8 forecast signals are active in this score.

Water temperature +25.0: how close the water is to this species mix’s comfort band
Chlorophyll +12.6: plankton density — the base of the food chain
Waves +9.0: swell energy stirring the water column
Wind +8.0: surface chop, oxygen and bait drift
Thermal front +6.0: temperature edges concentrate bait and predators
Chlorophyll front +5.0: a plankton edge — classic feeding line

What’s biting now

The model expects today: striped-bass, bluefin-tuna, red-drum, bluefish, king-mackerel, weakfish, common-octopus, northern-kingfish

[object Object] — Protected here — release immediately

Bite windows

Moon

Waning Gibbous · 78% lit

Solunar day rating

50 / 100

Best months for Beaufort NC Inlet:

Score history at this spot

10 days tracked at this exact location

Best recent day: 2026-09-22, 75/100

2 day(s) at 70+ in the tracked period

+6 points vs the same day last week

About this spot

Water type

Sea

Open coastal saltwater — conditions and safety depend heavily on the live wind, wave, and tide forecast, so check them before you head out.

Access & shore

Fishable from shore · offshore ground

What you can catch

Red Drum

Sciaenops ocellatus
Bluefish

Pomatomus saltatrix
King Mackerel

Scomberomorus cavalla

Best months by species at Beaufort NC Inlet

Red DrumSciaenops ocellatus
BluefishPomatomus saltatrix
King MackerelScomberomorus cavalla

Typical months; local seasons and closures apply.

Local regulations

U.S. federal fisheries authority

United States — Federal Waters

Species	Bag limit	Min size	Open season
Red Drum	1/day	45.7–68.6 cm slot	Jan 1 – Dec 31
Federal waters Gulf of Mexico: 1 fish/day, 18–27" slot. Atlantic federal rules differ.

Licensing:

saltwater-recreational — residents Federal Recreational Fishing License may be required in addition to state license when fishing federal (EEZ) waters., non-residents Same as residents. Many states require their own license even in federal waters.

Some rules may have changed since our last verification — always confirm with the authority before you fish.

FishRadar regulations are summaries only. Federal and state waters rules overlap — always verify current federal and state agency rules before fishing.