Best red drum (redfish) lakes in North Carolina
16 North Carolina waters list red drum (redfish) (official records or labelled estimates), 16 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 copper flats brawler of the Atlantic and Gulf — tailing in inches of water over grass and oysters, schooling at the passes in fall.
- Pamlico Sound — 34 ft max · 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
- Currituck Sound — 18 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Striped Bass, White Perch, Red Drum (Redfish)Why #2: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 22 public access sites
- Bogue Sound — 48 ft max · real survey depth contours · Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Southern Flounder, BluefishWhy #3: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 32 public access sites
- Back Sound — 55 ft max · real survey depth contours · Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Southern Flounder, BluefishWhy #4: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
- Topsail Sound — 24 ft max · 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
- Stump Sound — 19 ft max · 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
- Jarrett Bay — 12 ft max · real survey depth contours · Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Southern Flounder, BluefishWhy #7: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
- Hatteras Inlet — 47 ft max · 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
- Lookout Bight — 38 ft max · real survey depth contours · Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Southern Flounder, CobiaWhy #9: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
- Alligator Bay — 14 ft max · real survey depth contours · Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Southern Flounder, BluefishWhy #10: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
- Shallotte Inlet — 26 ft max · real survey depth contours · Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Southern Flounder, BluefishWhy #11: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
- Masonboro Inlet — 49 ft max · real survey depth contours · Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Southern Flounder, BluefishWhy #12: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
- Bogue Inlet — 34 ft max · real survey depth contours · Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Southern Flounder, CobiaWhy #13: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
- Money Island Bay — 11 ft max · real survey depth contours · Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Southern Flounder, BluefishWhy #14: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
- Sandy Bay — 8 ft max · real survey depth contours · Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Southern Flounder, Spanish MackerelWhy #15: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
- Salliers Bay — 17 ft max · real survey depth contours · Red Drum (Redfish), Spotted Seatrout, Summer Flounder (Fluke), Southern FlounderWhy #16: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
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How to use this ranking
The order is a map-planning ranking, not a claim about today's fish population. It favors larger mapped waters and gives survey-backed contours a three-times data-quality boost. Agency population surveys, current regulations, access and recent conditions should make the final decision.
Compare maximum depth across 37,233 lake records · See North Carolina waters with public access data
When to fish red drum (redfish) in North Carolina
- Spring 1–8 ft — Warming water pulls reds onto grass flats and oyster bars — sight-fish the flood tide, work bar edges on the drop.
- Summer 2–12 ft — Early and late over grass; midday fish slide to channel edges and shaded docks. A gold spoon never stops working.
- Fall 3–20 ft — The season — bull reds stage at inlets and passes on the mullet run, slot fish gorge on the flats.
- Winter 3–15 ft — Clear-water schools pod up in deep holes and dark-bottom flats that soak up sun — slow, small, quiet.
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 spotted seatrout lakes · best southern flounder lakes · best bluefish lakes · best sheepshead lakes · best black drum lakes
Red Drum (Redfish) elsewhere: Florida · Texas · Alabama · Maryland