Best Fishing Times in Wilmington, North Carolina
Today's solunar bite forecast for Wilmington — major and minor feeding periods, weather conditions, and a 7-day outlook. Times shown in local time.
Today — Sun, Aug 9
Best window: 9:17 AM to 11:17 AM
- • Waning Crescent — above-average moon influence
- • Stable barometric pressure
- • Light chop (5 mph wind) breaks up the surface
Feeding periods
| Period | Time | Trigger |
|---|---|---|
| Minor | 1:48 AM – 3:18 AM | Moonrise |
| Major | 9:17 AM – 11:17 AM | Moon overhead |
| Minor | 5:13 PM – 6:43 PM | Moonset |
| Major | 9:49 PM – 11:49 PM | Moon underfoot |
Conditions
- Sunrise
- 6:28 AM
- Sunset
- 8:05 PM
- Moonrise
- 2:33 AM
- Moonset
- 5:58 PM
- Moon phase
- Waning Crescent (13%)
- Temperature
- 74–92°F
- Wind
- 5 mph (gusts 16)
- Cloud cover
- 10%
- Pressure trend
- -1.6 hPa → steady
7-Day Bite Outlook for Wilmington
Sun, Aug 9
10:17 AM
74–92°F
Mon, Aug 10
11:21 AM
76–92°F
Tue, Aug 11
12:21 PM
75–101°F
Wed, Aug 12
12:50 AM
76–103°F
Thu, Aug 13
1:43 AM
78–99°F
Fri, Aug 14
2:32 AM
76–96°F
Sat, Aug 15
3:18 AM
71–84°F
Score = solunar strength adjusted for barometric trend, wind, cloud and precipitation. Time shown is the center of each day's best window.
Tide Times near Wilmington
NOAA station Wilmington (1 mi away). Moving water — the hours around each tide change — usually out-fishes slack tide.
Today
| Low | 1:30 AM | 0.5 ft |
| High | 6:45 AM | 4.1 ft |
| Low | 1:23 PM | -0.1 ft |
| High | 7:35 PM | 5.1 ft |
Tomorrow
| Low | 2:29 AM | 0.3 ft |
| High | 7:52 AM | 4.2 ft |
| Low | 2:26 PM | -0.2 ft |
| High | 8:38 PM | 5.2 ft |
Fishing in Wilmington: FAQ
When is the best time to fish in Wilmington today?
Today's strongest bite window in Wilmington is 9:17 AM to 11:17 AM (waning crescent). The overall bite score is 77/100 — good. Major feeding periods follow the moon's overhead and underfoot passes; minors follow moonrise and moonset.
What are major and minor feeding periods?
Solunar theory holds that fish feed most actively when the moon is directly overhead or underfoot (major periods, about 2 hours) and around moonrise and moonset (minor periods, about 90 minutes). Windows that overlap sunrise or sunset are historically the strongest.
Does weather change the bite in Wilmington?
Yes. A falling barometer ahead of a front typically triggers heavy feeding, while a sharp rise after a front slows it. Light wind that ripples the surface and cloud cover both extend feeding activity. Our daily score combines these factors with the solunar calendar.
Fishing times near Wilmington
- Belville, NC
- Navassa, NC
- Wrightsboro, NC
- Kings Grant, NC
- Leland, NC
- Seagate, NC
- Silver Lake, NC
- Northchase, NC
Lakes near Wilmington
Before you go
Check North Carolina fishing regulations — license requirements, size and bag limits — before your trip. Planning further out? See the North Carolina best-fishing-days calendar.