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275-acre Shallotte Inlet fishing map with NOAA BlueTopo survey contours (49.96% measured, 99.75% assessed), source-traceable coastal structure, regional fish-survey occurrence, sourced forage timing and verified public access. The water tops out around 26 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. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Traced from the shoreline, Shallotte Inlet runs 275 acres with 2.8 miles of edge. Its 1.2 shoreline index means few bank features; the contours below do the pattern work. 87% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft) — cover, weeds and forage water. Figure 0.9 mi of water from one end to the other, 0.7 mi at the beam. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Shallotte River, 2 mi northeast of here.
Spring puts red drum (redfish) in skinny water — 1 to 8 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 2 to 12 ft, wintering in 3 to 15 ft. Fall red drum (redfish) concentrate at NOAA BlueTopo measured channel shoulder, a prime-rated gravel shoal around 16 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A weedless gold spoon or a paddletail swimbait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA BlueTopo measured channel shoulder (16 ft) | Gold weedless spoon, Paddletail on 1/4 oz jighead |
| Summer | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Weedless gold spoon, Paddletail swimbait |
| Fall | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & midday | NOAA BlueTopo measured channel shoulder (16 ft) | 1/2 oz spoon (schools), Big paddletail |
| Winter | 3 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Surveyed channel edge (10 ft) | Scented soft plastic on 1/8 oz head, Slow-rolled paddletail |
When the water first warms, spotted seatrout slide up into 2 to 10 ft. By summer they slide out to 4 to 15 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 20 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Surveyed channel edge: a drop-off around 10 ft that scores prime in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Keep a popping cork + shrimp or a 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail (deep grass edge) rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed channel edge (10 ft) | Topwater walker, Suspending twitchbait |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn | Surveyed channel edge (10 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 | NOAA BlueTopo measured channel break (20 ft) | Suspending twitchbait (long pauses), Scented plastic crawled on bottom |
Start shallow in spring: southern flounder sit in 2 to 15 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 3 to 18 ft, and winter fish settle into 8 to 26 ft. The spot to know is Surveyed channel edge, a drop-off in about 10 ft of water that rates prime for southern flounder in summer. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. Throw a jighead + gulp swimming mullet or a bucktail tipped with shrimp until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 15 ft | dawn | Surveyed channel edge (10 ft) | 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail (white/chartreuse), Bucktail + Gulp shrimp |
| Summer | 3 to 18 ft | dawn | Surveyed channel edge (10 ft) | Jighead + Gulp swimming mullet, Bucktail tipped with shrimp |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | midday | NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth (25 ft) | 3/8 oz bucktail + Gulp (passes), Big paddletail on the jetty edge |
| Winter | 8 to 26 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (10 ft) | Slow jig + scented grub in the holes |
In spring, sheepshead run shallow here, mostly 5 to 25 ft. Summer keeps them at 3 to 15 ft, and they winter in 8 to 26 ft. NOAA BlueTopo measured channel shoulder is the standout, a gravel shoal at roughly 16 ft, rated prime for spring sheepshead. Time it for early morning. You won't need more than a small jig + crab piece most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA BlueTopo measured channel shoulder (16 ft) | 1/4 oz jighead + fiddler, Sheepshead jig + shrimp piece |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn | NOAA BlueTopo measured channel shoulder (16 ft) | Small jig + crab piece |
| Fall | 5 to 20 ft | midday | NOAA BlueTopo measured channel shoulder (16 ft) | Jighead + shrimp, Small crab jig |
| Winter | 8 to 26 ft | midday | open water | Heavier jig + crab (deep pilings) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: black drum in 4 to 25 ft. The depth story barely changes: 3 to 18 ft through summer, 6 to 26 ft in winter. The spot to know is NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth, a channel edge in about 25 ft of water that rates prime for black drum in winter. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a shrimp imitation dragged slowly or a small crab jig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 25 ft | midday & dusk | NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth (25 ft) | Crab-tipped bottom jig, Shrimp on a jighead |
| Summer | 3 to 18 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA BlueTopo measured channel break (20 ft) | Shrimp imitation dragged slowly, Small crab jig |
| Fall | 4 to 22 ft | dawn | NOAA BlueTopo measured channel break (20 ft) | Crab-tipped jig, Scented shrimp jig |
| Winter | 6 to 26 ft | midday | NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth (25 ft) | Heavy bottom jig + crab |
Start shallow in spring: bluefish sit in 3 to 20 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 4 to 26 ft; cold water stacks them in 8 to 26 ft. Top water on the chart: NOAA BlueTopo measured channel shoulder, a gravel shoal in the 16 ft range, prime in summer. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a popper (early/late) or a metal jigs in the rips until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA BlueTopo measured channel shoulder (16 ft) | Metal (Hopkins/Kastmaster), Pencil popper |
| Summer | 4 to 26 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA BlueTopo measured channel shoulder (16 ft) | Popper (early/late), Metal jigs in the rips |
| Fall | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & midday | NOAA BlueTopo measured channel shoulder (16 ft) | Pencil popper, Big metal |
| Winter | 8 to 26 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (10 ft) | Metal jig worked slow (southern waters) |
6 pieces of structure are mapped here — NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth, around 25 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 Shallotte Inlet specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official North Carolina fishing regulations →
Shallotte Inlet is about 26 ft (8 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 Shallotte Inlet.
NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth is the top-rated area: a channel edge in about 25 ft of water that rates prime for black drum in winter. 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 Shallotte 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.
Shallotte River 2 mi, NC/SC · Cape Fear River - Reach 2 of 2 25 mi, NC/SC · Lake Waccamaw 28 mi · Cape Fear River - Reach 1 of 2 34 mi, NC/SC · Northeast Cape Fear River 35 mi, NC/SC · Masonboro Inlet 38 mi · Great Pee Dee River 56 mi, SC/NC · Bulls Bay 92 mi, SC · Bogue Sound 100 mi · Lake Moultrie 105 mi, SC · Lake Robinson 108 mi, SC · Cooper River 112 mi, SC
See how Shallotte 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; 50% measured, 50% 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.