August 2026 Ocean Isle Beach Fishing Report

Late-Summer Fishing Around Ocean Isle Beach

August still felt very much like summer around southern Brunswick County, but there were a few signs toward the end of the month that the season was beginning to loosen its grip.

One of the biggest advantages we had throughout August was an excellent supply of bait. Finger mullet were plentiful, and there were plenty of shrimp around as well. Both were easy to catch with a cast net around low tide.

I also saw large numbers of small peanut pogies throughout the ICW, particularly from around the Ocean Isle Beach marina down toward the Sunset Beach area.

That much bait gave us plenty of options. Finger mullet and shrimp were productive for several inshore species, while bait concentrations along the beaches helped support another good month of Spanish Mackerel and Shark fishing.

The summer heat was still a factor, particularly for inshore fishing, but by the end of August we had finally received some rain and temperatures had cooled a few degrees. I started seeing the Redfish become a little more active as the month came to an end.

August Water and Weather Conditions

After an exceptionally hot and dry July, we finally started receiving some rain around Ocean Isle Beach during August.

The rain occasionally stained the water more heavily in some areas, which can change how I approach a spot. In dirtier water, slowing down the presentation and putting a bait where fish have plenty of opportunity to find it can make a difference.

August remained hot overall, but temperatures eased somewhat toward the end of the month. I can't say the slightly cooler conditions were solely responsible, but the timing coincided with an improvement in the Redfish activity I was seeing.

By late August, summer certainly wasn't over, but we were beginning to get the first small hints of the seasonal change ahead.

Spanish Mackerel

Spanish Mackerel fishing remained very good throughout August and continued to be one of my most dependable options.

I primarily targeted Spanish in approximately 20–28 feet of water off the beaches. Most days we were able to catch our limit fairly quickly unless we encountered a school containing a large number of undersized fish.

My primary setup remained a #1 Planer or #2 Planer followed by approximately 30 feet of 30-pound fluorocarbon leader and a size 00 Clarkspoon or Spoon-Squid in Silver/Pink, Silver/Chartreuse, or Gold.

When we found a good school of legal Spanish, the action could be extremely fast.

Nearshore Reefs and Bottom Fishing

Black Sea Bass continued to provide plenty of action around the nearshore reefs and other hard structure during August.

I continued fishing for Sea Bass with chicken rigs tied with 50–100 lb mono and 4/0 circle hooks, using shrimp, cut bait, squid, or live finger mullet depending on what I had available.

We also caught more Gag Grouper and Triggerfish during August than I had been seeing earlier in the summer.

Once we made it at least about 10 miles offshore, Red Snapper became a very consistent part of the catch. We weren't specifically making long offshore runs on most of my charters, but when conditions allowed us to get into that 10-mile-plus range, catching Red Snapper was rarely a problem.

One interesting thing I noticed on those runs was the number of flying fish. Once we reached roughly eight miles offshore, I regularly saw them coming out of the water as the boat passed through.

We also caught several overslot Redfish while bottom fishing the artificial reefs with cut bait.

Cobia and Barracuda remained around as part of the summer nearshore mix, although neither was a primary target for me during most August trips.

Barracuda and King Mackerel

Barracuda continued hanging around some of our local wrecks during August. I've seen more Barracuda in 2026 than I can remember seeing in quite a while.

When I specifically target them, I like to rig a very lively baitfish — usually a pinfish — on a weightless rig with a short section of 100-pound mono leader and toss the bait a few feet in front of the fish.

King Mackerel were available during August, but I didn't spend much charter time specifically targeting them. I generally concentrate more heavily on Kings during the fall when they move closer to shore and we start seeing more of the big smoker Kings.

Shark Fishing was outstanding throughout August.

The inlets continued to be productive, but one of my favorite adjustments came when the Shark bite around an inlet slowed down.

Instead of waiting for the fish to come back, I would often run to the same area where I had been catching Spanish Mackerel. Those concentrations of Spanish and other baitfish gave me another place to look for actively feeding Sharks.

Since I was generally finding the Spanish in roughly 20–28 feet of water, that same depth range became productive Shark water as well.

When the Sharks were there, it didn't take long. Fish on.

That ability to move between the inlet bite and concentrations of bait along the beaches helped keep Shark fishing extremely dependable throughout August.

Flounder

Flounder fishing remained about as good in August as it had been in July.

They continued to be one of the most dependable inshore species I encountered, and creek mouths were particularly productive.

Docks along the ICW also produced consistently, especially the downstream side of docks where moving water carried bait past the structure.

Flounder were also available around the inlets and other areas that combined current, structure, and concentrations of bait.

The average size remained similar to what I had been seeing in July. There were plenty of fish around, although on my boat the average fish still seemed somewhat smaller than what I encountered last year. I don't attach any larger fisheries significance to that. It's simply what I've seen this particular summer.

For numbers of Flounder, one of my favorite artificial setups remained a Z-Man GOAT in Green Pumpkin on a 1/4-ounce Z-Man Redfish Eye jighead.

When I'm specifically looking for a larger bite, I like a Z-Man DieZel MinnowZ in Smelt color on a 1/4-ounce Texas Eye jighead.

I also continued using Pro-Cure Flounder Pounder scent on my soft plastics.

For anglers who prefer live bait, a finger mullet on a Carolina rig remained extremely effective, and August gave us no shortage of finger mullet to work with.

Redfish

Redfish were fairly sparse inshore during much of August, but they were certainly catchable.

Early mornings and later in the afternoon were generally better periods for me during the hottest part of the month.

The fish were scattered enough that covering water remained important. Grass banks, creek mouths, docks, and areas with moving water were all worth checking, with areas closer to the inlet producing fish as well.

Natural bait was also productive. Finger mullet, cut mullet, and shrimp all gave us options depending on the situation. When fishing live or cut bait around current, slowing things down and allowing the bait to stay in a productive area could be more effective than constantly moving.

When targeting Reds with artificials, one of my favorites remained the Z-Man DieZel MinnowZ in Smelt color on a 1/4-ounce Texas Eye jighead.

I also continued using the Strike King Redfish Magic when I wanted the added flash and vibration of a spinnerbait.

We also caught several larger, overslot Redfish while bottom fishing with cut bait around nearshore artificial reefs.

Toward the end of August, after we finally received some rain and temperatures cooled a few degrees, I began noticing somewhat more activity from the inshore Reds.

Speckled Trout

Speckled Trout remained fairly sparse during August, much like they had been in July.

The important part was finding them. We might cover quite a bit of water without catching a Trout, but when we finally located one, we could usually catch several from the same general area.

Higher stages of the tide remained productive for me, particularly along deeper grasslines and wind-blown banks where bait was concentrated. Areas closer to the inlets and places with good moving water were also worth fishing.

One of my favorite Trout setups remained a Z-Man Swimmin Trout Trick in Electric Chicken color on a Z-Man Trout Eye jighead in 3/16 oz size.

I also like the Z-Man PrawnStarZ Shrimp in Laguna Shrimp color, either fished by itself or under a popping cork.

For a spinnerbait presentation, the Strike King Speckled Trout Magic remained another lure I kept in the rotation.

Live shrimp were another excellent option. Shrimp were plentiful in August and easy to catch with a cast net around low tide. Fishing one under a slip float along deeper grasslines was one of the most reliable ways to target scattered summer Trout. If the wind was blowing, I wanted to fish the grasslines along the wind-blown bank.

Sheepshead continued to be dependable during August.

I didn't spend a lot of August specifically targeting them, but every time I did, the fishing was successful.

Fiddler crabs remained my bait of choice, and docks continued to be my primary structure.

By August I was also getting more comfortable using the Garmin Livescope forward-facing sonar that I installed in July.

Rather than simply fishing every likely-looking section of a dock, I could use the forward-facing sonar to help locate fish holding around individual pieces of structure before dropping a fiddler crab to them. I'm still learning the system, but for this type of dock fishing it has already proven useful.

One thing we weren't lacking in August was bait.

Finger mullet were plentiful throughout the inshore waters, and shrimp were abundant as well. Around low tide, both were generally easy to catch with a cast net.

There were also large numbers of small peanut pogies throughout portions of the ICW. I saw particularly good concentrations from around the Ocean Isle Beach marina south toward Sunset Beach.

Having that much natural forage around gave anglers plenty of options. Finger mullet could be fished on the bottom for Redfish and Flounder, while live shrimp were difficult to beat when targeting Speckled Trout.

The amount of bait around the beaches also gave us somewhere else to look when the Shark bite slowed around the inlets.

Scattered Redfish continued to make covering water important during August. During the cooler early morning hours, I like to use a topwater lure such as a Whopper Plopper in Bone color to search productive banks and locate active fish. I don't throw nearly as many hard baits during the hottest part of summer as I do once fall arrives, but early morning topwater can still produce some explosive strikes.

Kids fishing remained dependable throughout August and was very similar to what we experienced in July.

These trips aren't about chasing one trophy fish. They're about keeping kids involved and giving them plenty of opportunities to catch something.

Whiting, Croakers, Black Drum, juvenile Sharks, and a variety of other smaller inshore species provided steady action throughout August.

Most of the Black Drum I caught during August actually came on these Kids trips rather than while specifically targeting them on my regular inshore charters.

For younger anglers, catching several different species during the same trip can be every bit as exciting as catching one big fish — and sometimes considerably more fun. Learn more about my Kids Fishing Charter.