UTERBlack drum fishing in Outer Banks & Hatteras
In Outer Banks & Hatteras, black drum peak April–May and September–October and are around March–November, according to Fish Scouter's month-by-month season calendar. April: Big black drum in the Hatteras surf and at the inlets with the spring red drum; clam on the bottom.
Drum at the inlets and the Oregon Inlet bridge.
Black drum in Outer Banks & Hatteras, month by month
- JanuaryNot here
- FebruaryNot here
- MarchArrivingTautog on the bridge; blues and drum on the way. Crab tight to the Oregon Inlet bridge rubble; the first spring fish at Cape Point.
- AprilPeakBig black drum in the Hatteras surf and at the inlets with the spring red drum; clam on the bottom.
- MayPeakSound-side bridges and the inlets.
- JuneAround
- JulyAround
- AugustAround
- SeptemberPeak
- OctoberPeakDrum at the inlets and the Oregon Inlet bridge.
- NovemberAround
- DecemberNot here
Where to fish black drum 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.
What to use for black drum
- Blue crabsWhole and small for permit and tarpon; halved or quartered on the bottom for black drum, redfish and cobia.
- Live shrimpUnder a popping cork or free-lined, hooked under the horn on a #1 to 2/0 circle hook; on a jig head for the bottom. The universal inshore bait.
- Fiddler crabsA #1 hook through the back corner of the shell, dropped tight to the piling — the sheepshead bait.
- Leader30–50 lb fluorocarbon
- Hook3/0–6/0
- Braid20–30 lb
Feeds in 48–78°F water, best at 54–70°F.
Questions anglers ask
When is the best time to catch black drum in Outer Banks & Hatteras?
Peak season is April–May and September–October. Black drum are in Outer Banks & Hatteras March–November. April: Big black drum in the Hatteras surf and at the inlets with the spring red drum; clam on the bottom.
Where do black drum hold in Outer Banks & Hatteras?
Look on bridge, dock / pilings, grass flat, channel edge — around Ocracoke, Hatteras, Buxton, Avon, Rodanthe, Oregon Inlet.
What is the best bait for black drum in Outer Banks & Hatteras?
Live bait: blue crabs, live shrimp, fiddler crabs. Blue crabs: Whole and small for permit and tarpon; halved or quartered on the bottom for black drum, redfish and cobia. Tackle: leader 30–50 lb fluorocarbon, hook 3/0–6/0, braid 20–30 lb.
What are the rules for black drum 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.
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