Bield: fish

Single-species migration calendar

Speckled Trout in North Carolina Southern Coast june fishing.

  • Cynoscion nebulosus
  • Seasonal Movement
  • Good

Topwater dawn/dusk on flats.

Verify with the agency before fishing

Fishing regulations change every season. This page is a summary maintained by Bield — bag limits, exact dates, and species-specific rules must be verified with North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries before each trip.

Year-round calendar

Speckled Trout · 12-month view.

Each month encodes typical migration status. The current month is outlined in gold. Hover a cell for the month-specific note and typical water temperature.

Swipe to scroll →
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJan — Fair Wintering in deep marsh holes; cold-front sensitive. Typical water temp: 50–58°FFairFeb — Fair Same. Typical water temp: 52–60°FFairMar — Good Spring movement to flats. Typical water temp: 58–64°FGoodApr — Good Strong spring fishing. Typical water temp: 62–70°FGoodMay — Good Summer pattern beginning. Typical water temp: 70–76°FGoodJun — Good Topwater dawn/dusk on flats. Typical water temp: 76–82°FGoodJul — Good Same. Typical water temp: 80–86°FGoodAug — Good Hot water — early/late tide windows. Typical water temp: 82–88°FGoodSep — Good Cool nights reactivate flats fishing. Typical water temp: 76–82°FGoodOct — Good Excellent fall fishing. Typical water temp: 68–76°FGoodNov — Good Same — fish feeding before cold fronts. Typical water temp: 60–68°FGoodDec — Fair Wintering pattern. Typical water temp: 52–60°FFair

Migration pattern

Year-round resident with strong winter (deep-hole) and summer (grass-flat) patterns. Topwater dawn/dusk fishing through warm months.

Best locations

  • Cape Fear River mouth
  • Masonboro Inlet
  • Wrightsville Beach jetties
  • Topsail Inlet

Top lures

  • Soft plastic paddletails on jigheads
  • MirrOlure suspending plugs
  • Live shrimp under popping cork
  • Topwater plugs (dawn/dusk)
  • DOA shrimp

Speckled Trout in other regions

Chesapeake Bay (Lower) →Virginia Coast & Eastern Shore →North Carolina Outer Banks →South Carolina Coast →Georgia Coast →Northeast Florida →All speckled trout regions →

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Bield: Fish ties NOAA buoy data and water-temperature readings to species arrival windows so you're on the water the day they arrive in North Carolina Southern Coast.

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