What the water is doing out of Hatteras, NC and what changed before the next trip: NWS marine alerts and forecast, NOAA tides, attributed reports, and the North Carolina rules that apply at the dock.
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Live panels load straight from NWS and NOAA in your browser. They are for planning, not navigation. A missing alert is not a safe forecast. Check the zone forecast and your own instruments before you leave, and the forecast can change after you do.
No attributed report from Hatteras is on file right now. No report does not mean no fish. It means no operator or regional source we carry has posted one we could link.
Jennette's Pier reported multiple red drum caught and released early on October 5, with ocean temperature at 72 degrees and northerly winds at 15 knots. The pier has been posting red drum activity consistently since late September.
The September regional report described billfish and mahi offshore, Spanish mackerel nearshore, and red drum activity inshore and along the beachfront.
The full Bite Wire, Maine to Florida →
State-water rules for the species we have verified against NC Division of Marine Fisheries. Federal water and highly migratory species follow NOAA rules.
| Species | Size | Bag | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Striped bass | 28"–31" total length (slot) — Atlantic Ocean | 1 fish per person per day — Atlantic Ocean | Openas of Oct 13 |
| Summer flounder | 15" total length minimum | 1 flounder per person per day (all flounder species) | Closedas of Oct 13 |
| Black sea bass | 13" total length minimum (excluding tail filament) | North of Cape Hatteras: 15 per person per day; South of Cape Hatteras: 7 per person per day | Openas of Oct 13 |
| Bluefish | No minimum size (DMF page lists 'None') | 5 per person per day (private); 7 per person per day on for-hire vessels | Openas of Oct 13 |
| Red drum | 18"–27" total length (slot) | 1 fish per person per day | Openas of Oct 13 |
| Scup | 9" total length minimum | 30 per person per day | Openas of Oct 13 |
| Spotted seatrout | 14"–20" total length slot; may keep one fish over 26" | 3 per person per day | Openas of Oct 13 |
| Weakfish | 12" minimum total length | 1 fish per person per day | Openas of Oct 13 |
| Black drum | 14"–25" total length (slot) | 10 fish per person per day | Openas of Oct 13 |
| Sheepshead | 14" minimum total length | 5 fish per person per day | Openas of Oct 13 |
| Cobia | 36" minimum fork length | 1 fish per person per day | Openas of Oct 13 |
| Spanish mackerel | 12" minimum fork length | 15 fish per person per day | Openas of Oct 13 |
Summarized from NC Division of Marine Fisheries pages; status derived for Oct 13, 2026. The agency page controls: NC Division of Marine Fisheries ↗ · Full North Carolina table →
