Pamlico/Neuse River – April 2025
Donald, of Custom Marine Fabrication, reports that speckled trout fishing has picked up a lot with the nicer weather bringing water temperatures up. The trout are moving out of their wintering holes and pushing towards the main river. Bait options vary, with anything from soft plastics, suspending lures, and topwaters all having success.
Red drum continue to move into the lower Neuse as they migrate in from the ocean side.
Brad, of Gunny B Outdoors, reports that the local bite is focused on speckled trout, with some striped bass (2-12 lbs.) mixed in.
The trout action is still in the creeks, and the bite has made a strong jump with water temperatures rising. The trout are moving, but it definitely is a transition period. The nicer weather stretches push these fish toward the creek mouths, and then a cold front moves through and kicks them right back in. A variety of lures are having success, including both soft plastics and suspending baits. Retrieve speeds vary a little depending on the warmth from the weather each day. As the water temperatures stay over 60 degrees, anglers will also see a topwater bite.
A few red drum are mixed in, though most of these fish are coming up short of the slot. Smaller soft plastics (3”) with a little Pro-Cure scent has been the top lure choice for the reds.
Dave, of Pamlico Pirate Charters, reports that the speckled trout fishing has been awesome in most creeks from New Bern down to Oriental. The warmer water temperatures have mostly moved them out of the far back holes and scattered them throughout the creeks. Anglers have been having a bunch of success with smaller soft plastics (3”) with gold flake, glow, or chartreuse color patterns. Another change with these warmer temperatures is retrieve speeds can be picked up as anglers move away from the dead sticking tactics of the cold winter months.
Topwater action is also firing off, with striped bass being the most active feeders, though some trout are also taking swipes at the plugs.
A few red drum are showing up, especially in those lower river areas, as these fish begin to push in from the sound.
Capt. Grey Davis, of Hyde Guides, hooked this red drum in the Pamlico Sound using a Hyperlite spinner bait.
Gary, of Spec Fever Guide Service, reports that speckled trout action has fired off now that water temperatures in the creeks are over 60 degrees. Most of the action is coming from soft plastics, but under the right conditions, topwater plugs will have success. With conditions and the fish moving around, these trout can be found anywhere from creek mouths to the deeper holes further back in the creeks.
Some striped bass and scattered red drum are being caught with the same soft plastics in the same creeks.
Kent, of East Side Bait and Tackle, reports that the speckled trout action is heating up with the water temperatures. These fish are still mostly in the creeks, but they have moved closer to creek mouths as they begin to push into the main river. With the warmer water temperatures, bait retrieve speeds have increased, and this has expanded the successful lures to include Z-Man soft plastics, MirrOlures, and topwater plugs.
Anglers fishing in the lower part of the river are anticipating red drum mixing in the action as they start moving in from the ocean.
Anglers are having success finding striped bass in both the Tar and Roanoke rivers.
Shad fishing is still going on, though much of the action is now well upriver.
Gaston, of Kingfisher Charters, reports that speckled trout are starting to make some movement in the creeks as they get ready to push out. On warmer afternoons, water temperatures are getting up to 60 and above. Z-Man soft plastics on lighter jig heads are working the best in getting numbers.
Topwater plugs are starting to be effective, and they are also producing some of the bigger trout.
No red drum are showing up yet, but the end of April will likely see these fish move in from the ocean.
Brandon Christner, of Pennsylvania, landed this 21″ speckled trout in the Neuse River using a DOA 3″ shad glow swim bait. He was fishing with Capt. Dave Hegel of Pamlico Pirate Fishing Charters.
Zach, of UFO Fishing Charters, reports that there are some larger trout (6+ lbs.) being caught, though the numbers still seem to be a little less (as we’d expect to see after the hard winter). The deeper creeks remain the better producing areas. Paddle tail soft plastics have been producing best, with plenty of bites coming from suspending lures, too. Topwater plugs will also have some success, especially as the water temperatures keep moving up.
Some striped bass are mixed in the same creeks as the trout, and they’re hitting most of the same lures.
Only a few red drum are around. These are the smaller, resident fish holding in the backs of creeks.
Grey, of Hyde Guide, reports that water temperatures really haven’t allowed for much change over the past few weeks. The speckled trout are starting to move around a little, but they are mostly sticking near their wintering holes.
Some black drum and sheepshead are likely holding out on the reef structure in the sound, and bluefish and gray trout will arrive soon.
Stripers haven’t started much of a big push into the Roanoke River yet, but with the shad spawn moved up, it could be any time now.
Conditions are slowly getting better for sight-casting action on the flats for red drum, but for now, anglers still wait for the better numbers to be pushing in from the ocean.
