UTERMahi-mahi fishing in Outer Banks & Hatteras
In Outer Banks & Hatteras, mahi-mahi peak May–September and are around April–October, according to Fish Scouter's month-by-month season calendar. May: Big spring gaffers off Hatteras and Oregon Inlet.
No note for October — see the months around it.
Mahi-mahi in Outer Banks & Hatteras, month by month
- JanuaryNot here
- FebruaryNot here
- MarchNot here
- AprilArriving
- MayPeakBig spring gaffers off Hatteras and Oregon Inlet.
- JunePeakCobia off the beaches; blue marlin offshore. Sight-cast cobia with live eels; fluke in the inlets on bucktails.
- JulyPeakSchoolies under the weed lines.
- AugustPeak
- SeptemberPeak
- OctoberLeaving
- NovemberNot here
- DecemberNot here
Where to fish mahi-mahi near Ocracoke, Hatteras, Buxton
A hundred and twenty miles of barrier island — Ocracoke, Hatteras, Pea Island, Bodie, the northern beaches — with Cape Point at Buxton where the Gulf Stream and the Labrador Current meet, three inlets (Ocracoke, Hatteras, Oregon), and behind them Pamlico, Croatan and Albemarle sounds and the Neuse and Pamlico rivers. The Gulf Stream runs 20 miles off Oregon Inlet.
Fish Scouter charts 267 wreck, 207 artificial reef spots in the The Outer Banks map area — the kinds mahi-mahi hold on.
What to use for mahi-mahi
- BallyhooRigged on a wire or mono trolling rig, skipping or swimming, behind a skirt or naked.
- Pilchards (whitebait)Free-lined or under a cork, hooked through the nose on a #1 to 2/0 circle hook. The one bait that catches everything inshore.
- Blue runners (hardtails)Nose-hooked and slow-trolled on a wire stinger rig for kings; bridled for sailfish and cobia.
- Leader40–60 lb fluorocarbon
- Hook4/0–8/0
- Braid50–100 lb
Feeds in 72–88°F water, best at 76–84°F.
Questions anglers ask
When is the best time to catch mahi-mahi in Outer Banks & Hatteras?
Peak season is May–September. Mahi-mahi are in Outer Banks & Hatteras April–October. May: Big spring gaffers off Hatteras and Oregon Inlet.
Where do mahi-mahi hold in Outer Banks & Hatteras?
Look on wreck, artificial reef, ledge / hard bottom — around Ocracoke, Hatteras, Buxton, Avon, Rodanthe, Oregon Inlet.
What is the best bait for mahi-mahi in Outer Banks & Hatteras?
Live bait: ballyhoo, pilchards (whitebait), blue runners (hardtails). Ballyhoo: Rigged on a wire or mono trolling rig, skipping or swimming, behind a skirt or naked. Tackle: leader 40–60 lb fluorocarbon, hook 4/0–8/0, braid 50–100 lb.
What are the rules for mahi-mahi in Outer Banks & Hatteras?
Size and bag limits and closed seasons are set by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) and change — read the current rule at https://www.deq.nc.gov/about/divisions/marine-fisheries/rules-proclamations-and-size-and-bag-limits before you keep a fish. A licence is sold at https://www.ncwildlife.org/licensing.
Fish it with the tide in your pocket
Fish Scouter scores mahi-mahi for this hour on this water, draws every reef, wreck and access point near you, and keeps your spots. $9.99 a month, 14 days free.
Start 14 free daysMore
All about mahi-mahi · The Outer Banks, the whole year