Kure Beach Fishing Charters & Guides

Kure Beach, NC

It’s easy for a small place like Kure Beach to get lost in all the tourist and vacation meccas along the North Carolina Coast. But don’t worry, once you’ve learned about this small New Hanover County community 15 miles south of Wilmington, you won’t have any problem remembering it and telling others. And one of the big reasons is fishing. If you turn east, there is the massive Atlantic Ocean and the unforgettable sunrises that can look different every morning. If you turn west, there’s the middle section of the Cape Fear River and all kinds of estuary environments with plenty of water and fish. Kure Beach (pronounced Kyur-eee) is part of the Pleasure Island area and is just north of the famous historical Fort Fisher. There are a multitude of vacation rentals, bed and breakfasts, and motels; and even though it’s small, it even has its own U.S. Post Office. Fish stories abound and so do ones involving the beach’s history. One famous story is of a German U-boat that fired shells at the chemical plant on the island back in 1940 because they were making bromine from seawater to help in gasoline production for airplanes. Fortunately, the story goes, the shells overshot their mark and landed in the river. One thing that doesn’t overshoot it’s mark is the tourist attractions here. There’s Federal Point, where the only access to the area down state Hwy. 421 dead ends into the water. Or the Rocks at Fort Fisher, which closed off the river’s bays from the Atlantic to protect it. The Fort Fisher Recreation Area and the nearby Carolina Beach State Park and North Carolina Aquarium are all worth visits.

Fishing Near Kure Beach

Inshore fishing reports almost always include speckled trout, red drum, flounder, croaker and bluefish. There are also some great fishing tournaments held in this area. Two that are world famous are the East Coast Got Em On King Mackerel Classic, the area’s premier mackerel tournament; and the Fisherman’s Post Carolina Beach Inshore Challenge at the Inlet Watch Marina, with both red drum and flounder divisions. The more serious anglers will be looking at getting in a boat and heading to one of the prime locations up or down the Cape Fear River. Upriver, you’ve got freshwater fishing for striped bass, largemouth bass, catfish and sunfish. In the brackish water, you can still catch those fish mixed in with redfish, speckled trout, croaker, cobia and flounder to name a few. Kayak fishing is popular, especially around the river’s grassy marshes.

Kure Beach Fishing

The first thing that will catch a fisherman’s eye when he gets to Kure Beach, besides the massive ocean, is the 711 foot Kure Beach Fishing Pier. This pier has everything an angler needs for a good fishing trip, including lots of fish swimming underneath it. The Kure Beach Fishing Pier has been a popular spot since 1923, although it has been rebuilt due to weather and the wear and tear of time, but it’s always a good spot to try. Admission to the pier is free and there is tackle, bait, concessions, souvenirs and even a nearby arcade for the younger set. Flounder, bluefish, speckled trout, black drum, redfish, pompano, Virginia mullet and sharks are all caught on a regular basis from the pier. Croakers, flounder and sheepshead are also good much of the year. Go a bit further and there is also a great spot at the fishing pier at the Fort Fisher State Recreation Area. You can also fish right off the shore in the surf. A day on a charter boat is the way to go here for a lifetime memory. You can boat all the way out to the Gulf Stream for giant game fish like dolphin, sailfish, barracuda and amberjack. Offshore, you’ll catch sailfish, dolphin, Spanish mackerel, king mackerel and more. If you go out on the reefs, you can catch trout, black sea bass, snapper and grouper along with other species. Or you can just stay closer to shore. Some of the best fishing is in popular areas like the Ten-Mile Boxcars, the Liberty Ship or the Dodge Wreck areas where mahi, yellowfin, blackfin tuna, snapper and more are there to challenge anglers.

Book a Kure Beach Fishing Trip

You can catch a lot of history lessons here. You can catch a good time. And you can also catch fish. It’s a good bet that you will have the time of your life angling here, especially if you take the time to plan ahead and book a knowledgeable guide to show you when and how to catch fish. They can make your trip all play and no work. Whether inshore fishing or offshore, that’s the way to go with a FishAnywhere.com charter. Search Kure Beach and pick one that fits what you need. It’s a popular area, so make sure you book your fishing trip at the same time you book your accommodations to avoid getting left standing on the dock.