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Best bluefish lakes in North Carolina

15 North Carolina waters list bluefish (official records or labelled estimates), 15 mapped with survey or official-chart depth data. Ranked below by size and depth-data quality, leading with the waters in our reviewed search catalog — open any water to see exactly where to fish it: depth contours, scored spots with plain-English reasons, seasonal windows and bait picks. The yellow-eyed wrecking crew — schools blitz bait on the surface, chop through anything shiny, and pull like fish twice their size.

1. Pamlico Sound — 34 ft · Survey depth data · real survey depth contours · Striped Bass, Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Southern FlounderWhy #1: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 46 public access sites
2. Bogue Sound — 48 ft · Survey depth data · real survey depth contours · Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Southern Flounder, BluefishWhy #2: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 32 public access sites
3. Back Sound — 55 ft · Survey depth data · 85% measured · real survey depth contours · Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Southern Flounder, BluefishWhy #3: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
4. Topsail Sound — 24 ft · Survey depth data · 93% measured · real survey depth contours · Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Southern Flounder, BluefishWhy #4: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
5. Stump Sound — 19 ft · Survey depth data · 97% measured · real survey depth contours · Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Southern Flounder, BluefishWhy #5: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
6. Jarrett Bay — 12 ft · Survey depth data · 98% measured · real survey depth contours · Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Southern Flounder, BluefishWhy #6: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
7. Hatteras Inlet — 47 ft · Survey depth data · 65% measured · real survey depth contours · Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Southern Flounder, CobiaWhy #7: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
8. Lookout Bight — 38 ft · Survey depth data · 66% measured · real survey depth contours · Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Southern Flounder, CobiaWhy #8: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
9. Alligator Bay — 14 ft · Survey depth data · 96% measured · real survey depth contours · Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Southern Flounder, BluefishWhy #9: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
10. Shallotte Inlet — 26 ft · Survey depth data · 50% measured · real survey depth contours · Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Southern Flounder, BluefishWhy #10: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
11. Masonboro Inlet — 49 ft · Survey depth data · 42% measured · real survey depth contours · Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Southern Flounder, BluefishWhy #11: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
12. Bogue Inlet — 34 ft · Survey depth data · 71% measured · real survey depth contours · Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Southern Flounder, CobiaWhy #12: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
13. Money Island Bay — 11 ft · Survey depth data · 98% measured · real survey depth contours · Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Southern Flounder, BluefishWhy #13: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
14. Sandy Bay — 8 ft · Survey depth data · 100% measured · real survey depth contours · Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Southern Flounder, Spanish MackerelWhy #14: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
15. Salliers Bay — 17 ft · Survey depth data · 96% measured · real survey depth contours · Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Summer Flounder (Fluke), Southern FlounderWhy #15: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site

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When to fish bluefish in North Carolina

• Spring 3–20 ft — Racers arrive with the bunker schools — follow birds, cast metal, and check your leader after every fish.
• Summer 5–30 ft — Snappers in the bays, choppers in the rips — wire or heavy mono, poppers when they're up, metal when they're down.
• Fall 3–25 ft — The fall run — mullet and bunker pour out of the bays and the blues go with them; the year's best surface fishing.
• Winter 15–40 ft — Gone south from most coasts; Florida and Gulf fish work the passes on warm winter tides.

Also in North Carolina: best largemouth bass lakes · best smallmouth bass lakes · best walleye lakes · best crappie lakes · best bluegill lakes · best channel catfish lakes · best striped bass lakes · best flathead catfish lakes · best blue catfish lakes · best longnose gar lakes · best spotted bass lakes · best white perch lakes · best red drum (redfish) lakes · best spotted seatrout lakes · best southern flounder lakes · best sheepshead lakes · best black drum lakes

Bluefish elsewhere: Maine · New York · Massachusetts · France · Florida · Connecticut · New Jersey · Rhode Island · Maryland