Redfish Water Temperature at Oregon Inlet
Channel bass. Bull reds and slot fish — they hit hard and run hard.
Water Now
Redfish Band
The water is about 10° 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.
The 68° Line
The 68° line is currently 29 miles north of Oregon Inlet along the coast. It has not moved consistently enough this week to quote a rate.
Water at Oregon Inlet, Last 60 Days
Where they hold
Redfish work the surf trough, inlet channels, and shallow sound flats. Slot fish (18–27") are often found on the flats and in channels. Bull reds (the big spawning fish) show up in the surf and at the inlets in fall.
Tide
Incoming tide pushes red drum into the shallows and surf to feed. On the flats, a rising tide over grass and shell is best. High water gives them access to areas they cannot reach at low.
How to fish them
- Fish Finder Rig with cut mullet, crab, or menhaden in the surf. Let the bait sit.
- Circle hooks and patience — red drum are not chase fish in the surf, they are smell fish.
- On the flats, topwater plugs and gold spoons work well early morning.
- Bucktails in chartreuse and gold produce in dirty water conditions.
- Look for muds on the flats — actively feeding reds stir up the bottom.
- In the surf, cast into the trough. Bull reds may not move for the bait — the bait needs to come to them.
Pro Tip
For bull reds in the surf, go heavy on the leader — 60–80lb fluorocarbon or mono. These fish are large and their scales can cut through light leader on the run. Use 5/0–7/0 circle hooks and let them hook themselves.
Rigged for redfish
Fish Finder Rig · Topwater Stick Bait · Bucktail Jig — Yellow