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112-acre Masonboro Inlet fishing map with NOAA BlueTopo survey contours (41.55% measured, 100% assessed), source-traceable coastal structure, regional fish-survey occurrence, sourced forage timing and verified public access. The water tops out around 49 ft. The depth chart is built from real agency bathymetry referenced to NAVD88; directly measured coverage remains distinguished from source interpolation. The channels, holes and drop-offs come from the source data, not a distance-from-shore model. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.
Traced from the shoreline, Masonboro Inlet runs 112 acres with 2 miles of edge. Its 1.4 shoreline index means few bank features; the contours below do the pattern work. 11% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft) — cover, weeds and forage water. Figure 0.8 mi of water from one end to the other, 0.3 mi at the beam. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Northeast Cape Fear River, 9 mi northwest of here.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: red drum (redfish) in 1 to 8 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 2 to 12 ft before dropping to 3 to 15 ft for winter. The spot to know is Surveyed channel edge, a drop-off in about 15 ft of water that rates prime for red drum (redfish) in fall. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a weedless gold spoon or a paddletail swimbait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA BlueTopo measured channel shoulder (29 ft) | Gold weedless spoon, Paddletail on 1/4 oz jighead |
| Summer | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted pier (4 ft) | Weedless gold spoon, Paddletail swimbait |
| Fall | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & midday | Surveyed channel edge (15 ft) | 1/2 oz spoon (schools), Big paddletail |
| Winter | 3 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Surveyed channel edge (15 ft) | Scented soft plastic on 1/8 oz head, Slow-rolled paddletail |
Spring spotted seatrout on Masonboro Inlet hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 4 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 20 ft. Put Surveyed channel edge first on the milk run — a drop-off near 15 ft that grades prime for summer. The feeding windows run early morning. The summer box starts with a popping cork + shrimp or a 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail (deep grass edge).
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Topwater walker, Suspending twitchbait |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn | Surveyed channel edge (15 ft) | Popping cork + shrimp, 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail (deep grass edge) |
| Fall | 3 to 12 ft | dawn | open water | Popping cork rig, Soft plastic jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 20 ft | midday & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (15 ft) | Suspending twitchbait (long pauses), Scented plastic crawled on bottom |
In spring, southern flounder run shallow here, mostly 2 to 15 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 3 to 18 ft before dropping to 15 to 40 ft for winter. Summer southern flounder concentrate at Surveyed channel edge, a prime-rated drop-off around 15 ft. Fish it in early morning and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a jighead + gulp swimming mullet or a bucktail tipped with shrimp most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 15 ft | dawn | Surveyed channel edge (15 ft) | 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail (white/chartreuse), Bucktail + Gulp shrimp |
| Summer | 3 to 18 ft | dawn | Surveyed channel edge (15 ft) | Jighead + Gulp swimming mullet, Bucktail tipped with shrimp |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (15 ft) | 3/8 oz bucktail + Gulp (passes), Big paddletail on the jetty edge |
| Winter | 15 to 40 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (30 ft) | Slow jig + scented grub in the holes |
Start shallow in spring: sheepshead sit in 5 to 25 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 3 to 15 ft covers summer, 10 to 30 ft covers winter. Top water on the chart: NOAA charted pier, a dock line in the 4 ft range, prime in summer. Fish it in early morning and you'll meet the bite. Throw a small jig + crab piece until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted pier (10 ft) | 1/4 oz jighead + fiddler, Sheepshead jig + shrimp piece |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn | NOAA charted pier (4 ft) | Small jig + crab piece |
| Fall | 5 to 20 ft | midday | NOAA charted pier (10 ft) | Jighead + shrimp, Small crab jig |
| Winter | 10 to 30 ft | midday | NOAA charted pier (10 ft) | Heavier jig + crab (deep pilings) |
In spring, black drum run shallow here, mostly 4 to 25 ft. Summer keeps them at 3 to 18 ft, and they winter in 8 to 35 ft. NOAA charted pier is the standout, a dock line at roughly 4 ft, rated prime for summer black drum. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a shrimp imitation dragged slowly or a small crab jig most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 25 ft | midday & dusk | NOAA charted pier (4 ft) | Crab-tipped bottom jig, Shrimp on a jighead |
| Summer | 3 to 18 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA charted pier (4 ft) | Shrimp imitation dragged slowly, Small crab jig |
| Fall | 4 to 22 ft | dawn | NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth (42 ft) | Crab-tipped jig, Scented shrimp jig |
| Winter | 8 to 35 ft | midday | NOAA BlueTopo measured channel break (40 ft) | Heavy bottom jig + crab |
Spring puts bluefish in skinny water — 3 to 20 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 5 to 30 ft, wintering in 15 to 40 ft. Summer bluefish concentrate at NOAA BlueTopo measured channel shoulder, a prime-rated gravel shoal around 29 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A popper (early/late) or a metal jigs in the rips covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (15 ft) | Metal (Hopkins/Kastmaster), Pencil popper |
| Summer | 5 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA BlueTopo measured channel shoulder (29 ft) | Popper (early/late), Metal jigs in the rips |
| Fall | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & midday | Surveyed channel edge (15 ft) | Pencil popper, Big metal |
| Winter | 15 to 40 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (30 ft) | Metal jig worked slow (southern waters) |
11 pieces of structure are mapped here — NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth, around 42 ft, is the deepest of them.
Access data: North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission — Boating Access Areas. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for North Carolina waters are set by the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries — and special regulations can apply to Masonboro Inlet specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official North Carolina fishing regulations →
Masonboro Inlet is about 49 ft (15 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart is built from real agency bathymetry referenced to NAVD88; directly measured coverage remains distinguished from source interpolation. The contours reflect measured and quality-assessed source depths.
Anglers target red drum (redfish), spotted seatrout, southern flounder, sheepshead, black drum, bluefish on Masonboro Inlet.
NOAA charted pier is the top-rated area: a dock line in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for sheepshead in summer. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.
For red drum (redfish), the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Masonboro Inlet is regulated by the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries. Check the official North Carolina regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Northeast Cape Fear River 9 mi, NC/SC · Cape Fear River - Reach 2 of 2 14 mi, NC/SC · Cape Fear River - Reach 1 of 2 29 mi, NC/SC · Shallotte River 37 mi, NC/SC · Shallotte Inlet 38 mi · Lake Waccamaw 41 mi · Bogue Sound 62 mi · Back Sound 78 mi · Great Pee Dee River 94 mi, SC/NC · Harris Lake 118 mi · Jordan Lake 129 mi · Pamlico Sound 129 mi
See how Masonboro Inlet stacks up: best red drum (redfish) lakes in North Carolina · best spotted seatrout lakes in North Carolina · best southern flounder lakes in North Carolina · best sheepshead lakes in North Carolina
Browse all North Carolina fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: NOAA BlueTopo (NAVD88; 42% measured, 58% source-interpolated). How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.