Coastal conditions
Shore · North Carolina · Southeast Atlantic / Topsail
Surf City Ocean Pier is a Topsail Island oceanfront fishery extending over surf-zone and nearshore Atlantic habitat. Red drum, spotted seatrout, spanish mackerel, and bluefish are the principal supported targets.
Fair · 56
BetaConditions are fair, 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.
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.
Degraded
Coastal conditions are partial, stale, or predictions-only.
Tuesday · 11:00 AM–2:00 PM EDT
Window score
81
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 / Onslow / North Topsail · Inlet
Approximately 13.8 miles away
North Carolina · Southeast Atlantic / Southern North Carolina · Shore
Approximately 20.2 miles away
North Carolina · Southeast Atlantic / Crystal Coast / Emerald Isle · Shore
Approximately 30 miles away
Falling
Next low tide
Oct 20, 2026, 9:08 AM
In 3 hr 10 min
1.2 ft MLLW
Previous
High · Oct 20, 2026, 3:17 AM · 3.6 ft MLLW
Following
High · Oct 20, 2026, 3:42 PM · 4.4 ft MLLW
Tide prediction proxy
Ocean City Beach (fishing pier) · NOAA 8657419
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.
Surf City Ocean Pier fishery
A Topsail Island Atlantic ocean fishing pier at Surf City Ocean Pier.
Static seasonal guidance · Last reviewed Aug 23, 2026
Not a live bite forecast.
Red drum, spotted seatrout, Spanish mackerel, and bluefish are representative Topsail 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 Surf City. Confirm pier hours, fees, and town beach rules. Seaview and Jolly Roger are overlapping Topsail ocean-pier trips.
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
Planning limitation
Coastal conditions can vary over short distances. Predictions and remote observations are planning information, not guarantees of access or safety.