North Carolina · United States

Beaufort NC Inlet fishing forecast

66 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 now66/100

Local rulesUnited States — Federal Waters

Today’s verdict

Trending up — 4 points above 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+23.3Chlorophyll+18.0Current+9.9

Working against it

Marine heatwave-2.0

Pressure trend

Pressure stable — fish feeding on their usual rhythm

Next solunar peak

minor 23:38

Current conditions

Live conditions are temporarily unavailable for this spot (last data Aug 28, 2026). Seasonal and regulation info below is unaffected.

What the score means at Beaufort NC Inlet

Beaufort NC Inlet currently scores 66 out of 100 (Good). Water temperature is 28.8 °C. 8 forecast signals are active in this score.

Water temperature +23.3: how close the water is to this species mix’s comfort band
Chlorophyll +18.0: plankton density — the base of the food chain
Current +9.9: moving water concentrates bait
Waves +9.0: swell energy stirring the water column
Wind +7.7: surface chop, oxygen and bait drift
Chlorophyll front +5.0: a plankton edge — classic feeding line

What’s biting now

The model expects today: bluefin-tuna, king-mackerel, weakfish, common-octopus, northern-kingfish, amberjack, spot-croaker, summer-flounder

[object Object] — Protected here — release immediately

Bite windows

Moon

Full Moon · 99% lit

Solunar day rating

60 / 100

Best months for Beaufort NC Inlet:

Score history at this spot

7 days tracked at this exact location

Best recent day: 2026-08-28, 66/100

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-only

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.

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