The N.C. Coastal Recreational Fishing License went into effect January 1, 2007. It is required for saltwater rod and reel fishing, and you must observe size and bag limits. The license can be purchased on a 10-day, annual or lifetime basis. Contact the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries for saltwater regulations or for more information, (252) 726-7021, (800) 682-2632, or www.ncdmf.net. Be sure to familiarize yourself with regulations, which are posted at most piers and marinas.

Freshwater licenses are issued by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. Call (888) 248-6834 for credit card purchases or purchase from one of the locations listed below. Nonresident freshwater fishing licenses for 12 months cost $30. Three-day licenses cost $15, a license for one day is $10, and trout fishing is an additional $10. For residents, the annual 12-month fee is $15 with an additional $5 for a comprehensive license that includes trout fishing. A one-day license (not including trout waters) is $5. Licenses may be combined with a hunting license and can be obtained at slightly higher rates. As regulations and fees are complex and subject to change, you're advised to check the website for complete information at www.ncwildlife.org.

Wilmington

Fishing Reports

The most up-to-date sources of fishing information are charter captains, fishing piers and tackle shops. Detailed reports also appear frequently in the Sports section of the Star-News.

Fishing Piers

Each pier in the area has its own personality. Some have become bent and bowed after years of battering by the ocean and hurricanes, and some have been rebuilt time and again. Many are festooned with odd novelties and memorabilia and proudly display photographs of trophies reeled up from the sea. On busy days, expect to be rubbing elbows with other pier-fishers, but in the off season, a pier is a peaceful place to be. Almost all piers charge a daily fee for fishing and some charge you just to stroll out and watch the action. Most piers offer seasonal fishing permits, tackle shops, snack bars, wet cleaning tables, restrooms and a great view.

Wilmington

River Road Park
6300 River Rd., Wilmington
(910) 798-7198

River Road Park, south of the State Port and about 10 miles from downtown Wilmington, features a handicapped-accessible fishing pier on the Cape Fear River. The park has a boat ramp and parking, playground equipment, picnic tables, bathroom facilities and a shelter that can be rented for social occasions. Call (910) 798-7181 for reservations. The park is open from 8 AM to dusk.

Wrightsville Beach

Johnnie Mercer's Pier
Foot of E. Salisbury St., Wrightsville Beach
(910) 256-2743

Standing 25 feet above sea level, this magnificent concrete structure represents the latest in storm-resistant technology. It is the first pier in North Carolina able to sustain 200 mph winds, and its windows are built to withstand storm gales up to 150 mph. The light poles consist of spun concrete, and even the trash receptacles are made of stone. The pier is open year round and has a gift shop, arcade and restaurant that serves yummy sunrise breakfasts, lunches and dinners with indoor/outdoor seating. General fishing costs $8 per rod. Walk-on admission is $1 for adults and 50¢ for children younger than 12. Starting in 2008, the pier will be open 24 hours a day, all year round.

Carolina Beach

Carolina Beach Fishing Pier
1800 Carolina Beach Ave. N., Carolina Beach
(910) 458-5518

Owned and operated by the Phelps family, this 700-foot pier features a snack bar, a game area, a grill with indoor/outdoor seating and an upstairs lounge with ABC permits. The tackle shop offers new equipment for sale as well as rentals and bait. There is a fish-cleaning sink on the pier. The charge for general fishing with one or two rods is $8. King mackerel three-rod fishing costs $13. There is no charge to walk on the pier, and free parking is available for fishing. The pier is open 24 hours a day from April 1 through December 1 and is closed from December through March.

Kure Beach

Kure Beach Pier
Ave. K, Kure Beach
(910) 458-5524

Built in 1923 by L. C. Kure, this 22-foot-wide, 712-foot-long wooden structure is the oldest continuously operated family-owned pier in North Carolina. Facilities include a 5,800-square-foot building that houses a concession counter with cold sandwiches, drinks and other goodies, a complete tackle shop, a souvenir store and an arcade with four pool tables and video games. Permits are good from midnight to midnight and cost $5 for one rod and reel per person and $12 for a king mackerel permit allowing three rods. The pier is handicapped accessible. No rentals are available, and no alcoholic beverages are permitted. The pier is open 24 hours a day every day from April 1 to November 30.

Brunswick County

Southport/Oak Island

This small, handicapped-accessible pier near the mouth of the Cape Fear River is a municipal facility, and usage is free. It is adjacent to Waterfront Park, where amenities include a water fountain, park benches, a gazebo, a picnic table and swings.
 

Ocean Isle Beach

Ocean Isle Pier
Foot of Causeway Dr., Ocean Isle Beach
(910) 579-3095

The large game room and small grill at this pier are quite popular in summer. Available are ice cream, drinks, ice, supplies, fishing bait, tackle and rods, season passes, and rod and equipment rentals. Fishing fees are $7 per rod. Spectators are charged $1 for adults and 50¢ for children younger than 12.

Sunset Beach

Sunset Beach Pier
Foot of Sunset Blvd., Sunset Beach
(910) 579-6630

This 900-foot pier has a special area for king fishermen. Amenities at Sunset Beach Pier include a double sink at the cleaning table, a snack bar and grill serving breakfast and hot sandwiches, a game room and an ATM in the air-conditioned pier house. Bait is for sale at the pier, and rod rentals are available. Three-day, five-day and seasonal fishing passes are available and include parking. Not only is the pier handicapped accessible but also scooter chairs are provided free of charge to handicapped persons.

Topsail Island

Surf Fishing

Fly-Fishing and
 Light Tackle

Although saltwater fly-fishing requires skill, patience and a little luck, it is gaining in popularity on our coast. Those who pursue the sport have a fantastic love for it. Neophytes and aficionados of saltwater fly-fishing can find resources in the Wilmington area and in many tackle shops throughout the region.

 

East Coast Sports
Village Mall, Roland Ave. Cswy., Surf City
(910) 328-1887 

If you are looking for a charter, let Captain Chris Medlin arrange one for you. The friendly, professional staff at East Coast Sports also can help you select the best bait and tackle for either inshore or offshore fishing. East Coast has a full line of sports clothing, including Columbia, Sperry, Topsiders and many other name brands. East Coast is open year round.

Equipment & Supplies
 

Intracoastal Angler
7220 Wrightsville Ave. Suite A, Wilmington
(910) 256-4545, (888) 325-4285
 

The largest independent tackle shop in the region, Tex's Tackle & Bait carries everything you need for a successful fishing adventure, including rods, reels and frozen bait. The store's extensive inventory is impressive, as is its commitment to carrying only the best quality products at competitive prices. The line winding department offers a wide range of monofilament and braided lines, and the frozen baits include ballyhoo, squid, shrimp, cigar minnows and much more. Owner Tex Grissom, a lifelong fisherman, and his knowledgeable staff can answer questions and provide guidance. 

Boat Ramps

The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission maintains free ramps for pleasure boaters and anglers. Parking is generally scarce in the summer months at the busier locations such as Wrightsville Beach (which now has mostly metered parking, but many of the meters conveniently accept credit cards). The ramps are identified by black-and-white, diamond-shaped Wildlife signs. For information on public boat access, call (919) 707-0150. Detailed information with directions for ramps throughout the area, including access areas for the disabled, are at  www.ncwildlife.org/fs_index_05_boating.htm. 

Wilmington

Dram Tree Park on the corner of Castle and Surry streets off Front Street in downtown Wilmington is almost beneath the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge and gives access to the Cape Fear River.

Castle Hayne

Access to the Northeast Cape Fear River is by a ramp on Orange Street off N.C. Highway 117 bridge, a half-mile north of the intersection with State Route 1002.

Sutton Lake

From U.S. 17, take U.S. 421 north 3.2 miles. Turn left on Sutton Lake Road and go 1.5 miles to the road's end.

Pender County

The Northeast Cape Fear River and its tributary creeks are accessible by three public ramps. A ramp that allows access to the west bank of the river from I-40 can be reached by taking N.C. Highway 53 east about 1.7 miles, then County Road 1512 to its end. A public ramp on the east bank is off County Road 1520 about 7.7 miles north of N.C. Highway 210. The intersection of N.C. 210 and Secondary Road 1520 lies about 3 miles east of I-40 (Exit 408). Holland's Shelter Creek Campground and Restaurant, (910) 259-5743, is 7.5 miles east of I-40 down N.C. 53. Canoes, kayaks and paddle boats are available and the restaurant offers a memorable glimpse of local flavor. The private ramp gives access to Holland's Shelter Creek. (For more on Holland's Shelter Creek, see our chapters on Camping and Restaurants).

The Beaches

Wrightsville Beach, at the east end of U.S. Highway 74/76 drawbridge, has a public ramp accessible from either side of the main road. This access to the Intracoastal Waterway is very busy in summer months, especially on weekends, and parking is limited. On Pleasure Island, there are four ramps east of U.S. 421 at Snow's Cut. Coming south, make a hairpin right turn at the south end of Snow's Cut bridge onto Bridge Barrier Road. Turn right at Spencer Farlow Road and follow it less than a half-mile to the Wildlife sign. The dirt parking lot is down a short road on your left. If you're coming north from Carolina Beach, exit U.S. 421 at Lewis Road just before the bridge and take an immediate left onto Access Road. Spencer Farlow Road is less than a half-mile ahead. Another ramp is at the end of U.S. 421, south of the Fort Fisher ferry terminal and gives access to the Basin off Federal Point. Also on Pleasure Island, Carolina Beach State Park, off Dow Road, (910) 458-8206, has four ramps, a marina, ample parking and provides access to Snows Cut and the Cape Fear River. The ramp directly beneath the N.C. 210 high span in North Topsail Beach is generally uncrowded. It is accessible from the last turnout from the northbound side of N.C. 210 before the bridge. Access is to New River Inlet.
 

Brunswick Islands

At the foot of County Road 1101, accessible from N.C. Highway 133 on the mainland side of Oak Island, the public ramp gives direct access to the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW). At Sunset Harbor, east of Lockwood Folly River, a public boat ramp gives access to Lockwood Folly River and Inlet and the ICW. From N.C. 211, take County Road 1112 about 6 miles south and turn right at Lockwood Folly Road. Follow to its end. At the Wildlife Boat Ramp on Fish Factory Road, there is access to the ICW. At the Oak Island Parks and Recreation Center, 3003 Oak Island Drive, Oak Island, access is into the Davis Canal. Boat ramps at 55th Street NE and 57th Place W offer access on the Intracoastal Waterway. At Holden Beach, public boat ramps are under the N.C. Highway 130 bridge on the island side. Freshwater anglers may launch into the east bank of the Waccamaw River at the N.C. Highway 904 bridge at Pineway, about 5 miles north of the South Carolina border or the Boiling Spring Lakes Boat Ramp & Dock on Alton Lennon Drive.

 Topsail Island

There are three public boat ramps on Topsail Island. In North Topsail Beach, there is a boat ramp at the end of Shrimp Lady Lane under the high-rise bridge. Ramps are free, and there is plenty of parking. Surf City has a public boat ramp at their new Soundside Park, 517 Roland Avenue (just over the swing bridge), which offers access to the Intracoastal Waterway. The Town of Topsail Beach, on the south end of the island, has a new boat ramp offering access to the Intracoastal. The ramp is located just past Town Hall in downtown Topsail Beach.