Coastal conditions
Shore · North Carolina · Southeast Atlantic / Brunswick / Oak Island
Oak Island / Ocean Crest Pier is a Brunswick County ocean-pier fishery extending over sandy Atlantic nearshore habitat south of the Cape Fear system. Red drum, spotted seatrout, spanish mackerel, and bluefish are the principal supported targets.
Small Craft Advisory
Severity: Minor
Small Craft Advisory issued October 20 at 1:36AM EDT until October 21 at 6:00PM EDT by NWS Wilmington NC
Begins Oct 20, 2026, 1:36 AM · Ends Oct 21, 2026, 6:00 PM
Inexperienced mariners, especially those operating smaller vessels, should avoid navigating in hazardous conditions.
Poor · 48
BetaConditions 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.
Trip conditions only. Target-species activity and seasonal fishery patterns are not yet included.
Wait
Trip conditions may improve later. Review the recommended window and the reason for waiting.
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.
Degraded
Coastal conditions are partial, stale, or predictions-only.
Tuesday · 11:00 AM–2:00 PM EDT
Window score
73
Coastal conditions can change quickly. Review official alerts and current conditions before heading out.
No recent observations are available.
No recent observations are available.
North Carolina · Southeast Atlantic / Southern North Carolina · Shore
Approximately 11.2 miles away
North Carolina · Southeast Atlantic / Southern North Carolina · Shore
Approximately 27.1 miles away
North Carolina · Frying Pan Shoals / Cape Fear offshore · Offshore
Approximately 39 miles away
Falling
Next low tide
Oct 20, 2026, 9:27 AM
In 3 hr 27 min
1.5 ft MLLW
Previous
High · Oct 20, 2026, 3:04 AM · 4.1 ft MLLW
Following
High · Oct 20, 2026, 3:36 PM · 4.7 ft MLLW
Tide prediction proxy
Oak Island, Yaupon Beach · NOAA 8659182
This nearby station is used for tide timing. Predicted height does not represent exact water depth or exposed-flat conditions at this destination.
Tidal-current predictions are not available for this destination.
Tidal-current timing can differ from high and low tide timing.
Oak Island Ocean Crest Pier fishery
A Brunswick County Atlantic ocean fishing pier at Ocean Crest Pier, Oak Island / Caswell Beach.
Static seasonal guidance · Last reviewed Aug 23, 2026
Not a live bite forecast.
Red drum, spotted seatrout, Spanish mackerel, and bluefish are representative Brunswick 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
PrimarySciaenops 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
PrimaryCynoscion nebulosus
No seasonal pulse known
Surf, creek-mouth, and nearshore fishing.
Spanish mackerel
SecondaryScomberomorus maculatus
Typical seasonal opportunity: SPRING — FALL
Warm-season pier and surf fishing.
Bluefish
SecondaryPomatomus saltatrix
No seasonal pulse known
Coastal migratory fishing.
Seasonal presence is general guidance and does not indicate current fish activity.
Public fishing pier at 1100 Caswell Beach Road. Confirm pier hours, fees, and town rules. Oak Island Fishing Pier is an overlapping island ocean-pier trip.
Ocean swell and pier spray.
Size limits, seasons, and possession rules change. Verify the current official regulations before fishing.
Editorial and agency sources supporting this fishery profile. Live and predicted conditions use the separate Data Sources section.
North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries
North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries
Shore · North Carolina
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.
Tide predictions (nearby proxy)
Tide prediction proxy
Coastal and marine hazard alerts
Planning limitation
Coastal conditions can vary over short distances. Predictions and remote observations are planning information, not guarantees of access or safety.