It’s a fishing day

Nags Head Beach fishing conditions · North Carolina

Now until Monday 4 amStriped bass

The bite peaks at 72. Water is 65°, close to the 62° striped bass like best, and a solunar period lands on the window.

Log a trip here
Right now: 72 for striped bass, worth the trip · inside the best windowTap or drag along the water to move through the next 36 hours

Striped bass, hour by hour

Each float is an hour. The deeper it rides, the better the bite. The strip underneath runs daylight, dusk and dark; the red rule marks the best window. Click any hour to read it.

  1. 724 pm
  2. 72
  3. 72
  4. 727 pm
  5. 72
  6. 72
  7. 7210 pm
  8. 72
  9. 72Sun
  10. 721 am
  11. 72
  12. 72
  13. 724 am
  14. 72
  15. 72
  16. 727 am
  17. 72
  18. 72
  19. 7210 am
  20. 72
  21. 72
  22. 721 pm
  23. 72
  24. 72
  25. 724 pm
  26. 72
  27. 72
  28. 727 pm
  29. 72
  30. 72
  31. 7210 pm
  32. 72
  33. 72Mon
  34. 721 am
  35. 72
  36. 72
Go, 85+Worth the trip, 70+Marginal, 55+Sit it out

Right now · best window

Water
65°F

Striped bass range 50–72°

Wind
14 mph

From the northwest

Light
Daylight

Sunset 5:01 pm

Sky
Sunny

No rain expected

Air
61°F

NWS hourly forecast

Barometer
Steady

Measured, last 3 hours

Moon
5% lit

Waning crescent

What’s biting

Each species is scored against its own water-temperature range and tide preference, then wind, weather and warnings. The rules are North Carolina regulations for these waters.

Striped Bass

Striped bass

Morone saxatilis

72Worth the tripNow until Monday 4 am

Water

65°
40°50–72° · ideal 62°82°

Why

Right in striped bass's ideal range. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Building seas — uncomfortable and hard to hold position. Holds 5–35 ft down.

Keep

28" minimum · 31" maximum · 1 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Atlantic Ocean only — 28–31" slot, 1 fish/day, year-round. Albemarle Sound and the Central Southern Management Area are currently closed to striped bass harvest.

Verified Oct 21, 2026 · North Carolina

Last checked 17 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Apr–Dec, from this spot’s water-temperature record, 2023–2025. Likes an incoming tide. More on striped bass

Red Drum

Red drum

Sciaenops ocellatus

60MarginalNow until Monday 4 am

Water

65°
55°65–85° · ideal 75°95°

Why

Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Inside red drum's active range. Building seas — uncomfortable and hard to hold position. Holds 3–20 ft down.

Keep

18" minimum · 27" maximum · 1 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. 18–27" slot, 1 fish/day. Anything over 27" must be released.

Verified Oct 21, 2026 · North Carolina

Last checked 17 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: May–Nov, from this spot’s water-temperature record, 2023–2025. Likes an incoming tide. More on red drum

Bluefish

Bluefish

Pomatomus saltatrix

60MarginalNow until Monday 4 am

Water

65°
50°60–80° · ideal 70°90°

Why

Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Inside bluefish's active range. Building seas — uncomfortable and hard to hold position. Holds 5–50 ft down.

Keep

5 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. No minimum size. 5 fish/day from shore or private boat; 7/day on for-hire vessels.

Verified Oct 21, 2026 · North Carolina

Last checked 17 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: May–Nov, from this spot’s water-temperature record, 2023–2025. Likes an incoming tide. More on bluefish

Spotted Seatrout

Spotted seatrout

Cynoscion nebulosus

60MarginalNow until Monday 4 am

Water

65°
50°60–85° · ideal 72°95°

Why

Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Inside spotted seatrout's active range. Building seas — uncomfortable and hard to hold position. Holds 3–15 ft down.

Keep

14" minimum · 20" maximum · 3 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. 14–20" slot, 3/person/day, with one over 26" allowed. DMF can close the fishery by proclamation after a winter cold stun.

Verified Oct 21, 2026 · North Carolina

Last checked 17 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: May–Nov, from this spot’s water-temperature record, 2023–2025. Likes an incoming tide. More on spotted seatrout

Summer Flounder

Summer flounder

Paralichthys dentatus

–Not scoredOut of season

Out of seasonOut of season here today. Check the agency before fishing.

Water

65°
48°58–75° · ideal 65°85°

Why

Right in summer flounder's ideal range. Summer flounder prefers outgoing tide. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Holds 10–100 ft down.

Keep

15" minimum · 1 a day

Out of season here today. Check the agency before fishing. 2026 season Sep 1–14 only (Proclamation FF-27-2026): 15" minimum, 1/person/day, hook and line or gig, and every flounder kept must be reported to DMF. A separate ocean-only Gulf flounder season ran Mar 9–22 south of Portsmouth Island. Seasons are set each year by proclamation.

Verified Oct 21, 2026 · North Carolina

Last checked 17 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Jun–Oct, from this spot’s water-temperature record, 2023–2025. More on summer flounder

The water

  • Water temperature65°F
  • Seas5.6 ft at the nearest buoy
  • Barometer29.93 inHg, steady

Sun, moon & solunar

  • Sunset today5:01 pm
  • Sunrise tomorrow6:31 am
  • MoonWaning crescent, 5% lit
  • Minor solunarToday 3:30 pm–4:30 pm
  • Major solunarTonight 9:50 pm–11:50 pm
  • Minor solunarTomorrow 5:40 am–6:40 am

Solunar tables are a popular heuristic. A peer-reviewed test found they don’t predict catch on their own, so here they only nudge the score when the tide or moon already agree. How the score works

Fishing report

No current report covers these waters.

We only show reports an agency has published, with their date. NC Wildlife Resources Commission has the state’s fishing pages.

Licenses and rules: state fishery agencies · fish-consumption advisories

About this spot

Outer Banks surf from Jennette's Pier south toward Oregon Inlet. Red drum in spring and fall, bluefish and speckled trout in fall, striped bass in winter, summer flounder in summer.

Nearby

Public spots within 40 miles, with the same 36 hours of floats.

Cape Hatteras National Seashore33 mi · North CarolinaBest tonight 9 pm to Monday 1 am
80Worth the trip

Questions people ask

Do I need a fishing license to fish at Nags Head Beach?

Yes (anglers age 16 and older). To fish at Nags Head Beach you need the appropriate state fishing license. See the agency's current rules: the state agency website

What fish are commonly targeted at Nags Head Beach?

Nags Head Beach is listed on this site for 5 commonly-targeted species: Red Drum, Striped Bass, Bluefish, Summer Flounder, and 1 more. Which species is currently in season and which is scoring highest today is shown in the per-species ranking on this page.

When is the best time to fish at Nags Head Beach?

It depends more on the species and the day's conditions than on a fixed "best hour." Water temperature, weather, and — at tidal locations — the stage of the tide drive activity most. The per-species ranking on this page scores every target species at Nags Head Beach against today's live conditions, so the fish near the top are your best bets right now; check back as conditions change through the day.

What kind of access does Nags Head Beach have?

Nags Head Beach has multiple access types — pier, shoreline, and at least one public boat ramp.

Which state's fishing regulations apply at Nags Head Beach?

state agency regulations apply at Nags Head Beach. Size limits, creel limits, and seasonal closures are listed per species on each species page. Always confirm against the agency source linked from each regulation block — emergency closures can take effect mid-season.

Is Nags Head Beach tidal water?

Yes. Nags Head Beach sits on tidal water with a NOAA tide station nearby. Today's high/low timing is in the tide chart on this page.