Emerald Isle Fishing Charters & Guides

Emerald Isle, North Carolina

If there was ever a line drawn in the sand that said, “Cross this into Paradise”, it would be at Emerald Isle, North Carolina. The very western end of the Bogue Banks area isn’t big, but it's bountiful. There are 12 miles of shoreline, views that pictures can’t even capture and there’s fishing in any direction you can look. To the east is the Atlantic Ocean. To the west is the Bogue Inlet, an unique and magnificent combination of bay, estuary and inland waterways chocked full of adventure and recreation. Emerald Isle is so named because of the area’s emerald green waters. Those waters are great for fishing and for water sports, from charter fishing boats to canoes and kayaks. Or, just wading off the beach into the waters themselves. Emerald Isle is right next door to other popular spots like Indian Beach, Salter Path, Pine Knoll Shores and Atlantic Beach. It is located off the Crystal Coast East of Jacksonville down Hwy. 24, which is also known as “Freedom Way”. That’s aptly named, because you are free to pursue just about any water related sport here. You can find Emerald Isle on the map in Carteret County, where the White Oak River marks the county line. There are several parks that also add to the area, like Blue Herron Park Playground, Ocean Oaks Park Playground, and the Senator Jean Preston Memorial Park Playground to keep the kids busy and go on a picnic. There’s even a huge fishing pier on Bogue Inlet and you can whet your appetite for your trip by going online and watching the action live from their webcam. The options for fishing are many. You can go inland to the inlet and onward to dozens of waterways for flounder, redfish and speckled trout. Or you can head for the big waters of the Gulf Stream for big gamefish like tarpon, tuna, Mahi Mahi, sailfish, sharks or more.

Emerald Isle Inshore Fishing

When there are lots of fishing options, there’s always the question of where to start. A good place here is on a charter trip that can take you into the Bogue Inlet channel and marsh. The great thing about inland fishing here is that fishing is pretty productive all year long for flounder, sea mullet, speckled trout, redfish, croaker and other species that change with the seasons. Current is one of the keys to finding fish here. The fish like to hide out in calm water near where the current breaks. That often washes an easy lunch right in front of the fish. Because of the abundance of natural bait, anglers often prefer fresh shrimp, bloodworms and sea mullet as bait. The key is to get the bait on the bottom and pretty close to the fish. Artificial baits also work well, but take a little more skill on the part of the angler. There’s also a big variety of fish species here, including bluefish, sea mullet, sheepshead, king mackerel and Spanish mackerel. Some of the most popular spots to fish inshore are around bridges, like the Emerald Isle Bridge, Broad Creek Bridge, Gales Creek Bridge, and the White Oak River bridges (both of them). Two other popular areas are the White Oak oyster bars and Cedar Point Docks. Access is easy if you have your own boat. There are ramps at Shell Rock Landing west of Swansboro and Cedar Point east of Swansboro. The Croatan National Forest’s Cedar Point Campground has a tidal-dependent ramp. Dudley’s Marina in Swansboro and Island Harbor Marina in Emerald Isle have fee ramps. Canoes and kayaks can launch at Hammocks Beach State Park on Bear Island in the area.

Emerald Isle Offshore Fishing

Get excited for your fishing charter with a trip to the Bogue Island pier, which produces some of the biggest catches of fish off any coastal pier. You can grab a charter out to deeper water for bigger fish. The catches here include barracuda, wahoo, albacore tuna, redfish, amberjack, sailfish, marlin, tarpon, Mahi Mahi, Yellowfish tuna and even shark plus more! If you’ve got a special kind of fish you’d like to catch just for sport or for something to put on the dinner table, discuss that with your captain when booking your trip. It’s a literal buffet of opportunities off this area of the coast.

Book an Emerald Isle Fishing Charter

If you are looking to get away from it all, you can’t go much further than this. The tip of an Atlantic Coast island with protected waters on the inside and the huge ocean on the outside gives anglers lots of options. There’s plenty to do on the water when you aren’t fishing out in a big boat as well. It’s a place where the whole family can find a great fishing memory in the making with a FishAnywhere charter. Let the captain take you on the perfect getaway inshore or offshore and they’ll do all the work. You have all the fun. Don’t delay, book your charter today and circle the dates on the calendar.