Bluefish Water Temperature at Hatteras Inlet
Chaos fish. All blitzes, no manners, and they will cut anything.
Water Now
Bluefish Band
The water is about 14° above that band. That is an observation about temperature, not a report of fish. Bait, wind, structure and tide all move a bite that a thermometer cannot see.
Water at Hatteras Inlet, Last 60 Days
Where they hold
Bluefish are everywhere in OBX waters from spring through fall. They chase bait schools in the surf, crash topwaters in the inlets, and show up on the nearshore bottom on tin jigs. Where there is bait, there are blues.
Tide
Blues are active feeders on both tides and throughout the day during a blitz. If they are feeding, they are catchable regardless of tide. Mornings and evenings are consistently better.
How to fish them
- Topwater lures during a blitz — match the size of the bait being chased.
- Metal jigs and heavy bucktails for reaching fish beyond casting distance.
- Wire or bite leader is strongly recommended. Blues will cut 40lb mono on a single pass.
- White and chartreuse are top colors. Bluefish are not picky when feeding but color matters in slow conditions.
- Cast into the edge of the bait ball, not the center. Blues work the perimeter.
- Retrieve speed: fast. Bluefish are chase fish and a slow presentation often gets ignored.
Pro Tip
Bluefish have a full mouth of very sharp teeth and the lateral grip instinct — they will bite whatever is closest when they come over the gunnel. Use long-nose pliers or a lip gripper, never put fingers near the mouth. Unhook over the water if possible.
Rigged for bluefish
Bucktail Jig — White · Topwater Stick Bait