StrikeTracks

Coastal conditions

Kure Beach Fishing Pier

Shore · North Carolina · Southeast Atlantic / Southern North Carolina

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Location Snapshot

Kure Beach Fishing Pier is a southern North Carolina ocean-pier fishery with direct access to surf-zone and nearshore Atlantic water. Red drum, spotted seatrout, spanish mackerel, and bluefish are the principal supported targets.

Current Coastal Rating

Poor · 46

Beta

Conditions are poor, but confidence is reduced because some coastal inputs are partial or prediction-based.

Scores are model-specific and are not directly comparable across water types.

Should I Go?

Trip conditions only. Target-species activity and seasonal fishery patterns are not yet included.

Consider

Trip conditions may be workable, but important cautions or data limitations remain.

Medium confidence — The recommendation is usable, but one or more inputs are regional, proxied, stale, or incomplete.

Evaluates trip conditions using weather, tides, currents, waves, daylight, and active alerts.

  • This coastal rating is in public beta.
  • Missing waves are not calm. Forecast is not an observation. Prediction is not an observation.
  • Because this rating is in public beta, recommendations are capped at Consider when evidence is limited.

Service Status

Degraded

Coastal conditions are partial, stale, or predictions-only.

Recommended window

Wednesday · 6:00 AM–9:00 AM EDT

Window score

63

Max wind
10 mph
Max gust
20 mph
Daylight
33% of window
Tide state
falling

Why

  • Tide timing is within the preferred trip-condition range for this destination.

Watch for

  • Limited daylight is available in the evaluated window.

Coastal conditions can change quickly. Review official alerts and current conditions before heading out.

Current Readings

No recent observations are available.

Past 7 Days

No recent observations are available.

Nearby coastal destinations

  • Oak Island / Ocean Crest Pier11.2 mi

    North Carolina · Southeast Atlantic / Brunswick / Oak Island · Shore

    Approximately 11.2 miles away

  • Wrightsville Beach16.6 mi

    North Carolina · Southeast Atlantic / Southern North Carolina · Shore

    Approximately 16.6 miles away

  • Surf City Ocean Pier36.3 mi

    North Carolina · Southeast Atlantic / Topsail · Shore

    Approximately 36.3 miles away

Predicted Tides

Predicted

Falling

Next low tide

Oct 20, 2026, 10:17 PM

In 56 min

1.1 ft MLLW

Previous

High · Oct 20, 2026, 3:57 PM · 4.4 ft MLLW

Following

High · Oct 21, 2026, 4:25 AM · 3.9 ft MLLW

Tide prediction proxy

Wilmington Beach · NOAA 8658559

This nearby station is used for tide timing. Predicted height does not represent exact water depth or exposed-flat conditions at this destination.

Predicted Tidal Current

Predicted

Tidal-current predictions are not available for this destination.

Tidal-current timing can differ from high and low tide timing.

Fishery Profile

Fishery Overview

Kure Beach Fishing Pier fishery

A southern New Hanover Atlantic ocean fishing pier at Kure Beach Fishing Pier.

Fishery type
  • Ocean pier surf
Fishing modes
  • Shore
Habitat and structure
Kure Beach Fishing Pier deck and pilings · Adjacent Kure Beach surf

Static seasonal guidance · Last reviewed Aug 23, 2026

Not a live bite forecast.

Fishery Targets

Red drum, spotted seatrout, Spanish mackerel, and bluefish are representative Cape Fear-area ocean-pier targets. Seasonal timing varies by species.

Species images are AI-generated illustrations for visual reference and may simplify natural variation. Fishery records are based on the cited agency and editorial sources. About fish illustrations

  • Red drum illustration

    Red drum

    Primary

    Sciaenops ocellatus

    Also called Redfish

    Typical seasonal opportunity: SPRING AND FALL

    May also be present outside this peak window.

    North Carolina surf and pier fishing.

  • Spotted seatrout illustration

    Spotted seatrout

    Primary

    Cynoscion nebulosus

    No seasonal pulse known

    Surf, creek-mouth, and nearshore fishing.

  • Spanish mackerel illustration

    Spanish mackerel

    Secondary

    Scomberomorus maculatus

    Typical seasonal opportunity: SPRING — FALL

    Warm-season pier and surf fishing.

  • Bluefish illustration

    Bluefish

    Secondary

    Pomatomus saltatrix

    No seasonal pulse known

    Coastal migratory fishing.

Typical Seasonal Targets

  • Red drum — SPRING AND FALL
  • Spanish mackerel — SPRING — FALL

Seasonal presence is general guidance and does not indicate current fish activity.

Access, Safety and Regulations

Access

Public fishing pier at Kure Beach. Confirm pier hours, fees, and town beach rules. Carolina Beach Pier is an overlapping nearby ocean-pier trip.

Primary hazards

Ocean swell and pier spray. Wilmington 8658120 and Cape Fear river gauges are not this pier's ocean source.

Fishery considerations

  • Onshore wind steepens the wash. Missing waves are not calm. Forecast is not an observation.

Regulations

Size limits, seasons, and possession rules change. Verify the current official regulations before fishing.

View current recreational saltwater regulations (opens in a new tab)

Location and Access

Shore · North Carolina

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Get Directions to Map Location (opens in a new tab)View Official Access Information (opens in a new tab)

The map marker represents the cataloged waterbody or monitoring location and may not indicate legal parking or public access. Confirm access through the official information before visiting.

Data Sources

Planning limitation

Coastal conditions can vary over short distances. Predictions and remote observations are planning information, not guarantees of access or safety.

  • Bounded Kure Beach Fishing Pier ocean identity. This is not Wilmington harbor, not Cape Fear USGS, and not Wrightsville Beach.
  • Wilmington 8658120 is a Cape Fear river NWLON and is not this ocean source.
  • Wind, gust, and wave observations are not available for this location.