UTERStriped bass fishing in Outer Banks & Hatteras
In Outer Banks & Hatteras, striped bass peak April and are around December–April, spawning in April, according to Fish Scouter's month-by-month season calendar. April: Spawning on the Roanoke — the Albemarle–Roanoke stock is overfished and hook-and-line harvest has been suspended; check NCDMF and NCWRC.
Not in Outer Banks & Hatteras this month.
Striped bass in Outer Banks & Hatteras, month by month
- JanuaryAroundOcean stripers come south to Oregon Inlet only in cold winters — most years they stay off Virginia. Watch the reports.
- FebruaryAround
- MarchAroundFish stage in the Albemarle Sound before running up the Roanoke.
- AprilSpawningSpawning on the Roanoke — the Albemarle–Roanoke stock is overfished and hook-and-line harvest has been suspended; check NCDMF and NCWRC.
- MayNot here
- JuneNot here
- JulyNot here
- AugustNot here
- SeptemberNot here
- OctoberNot here
- NovemberNot here
- DecemberAroundWatch the inlets when the ocean drops into the mid-40s.
Where to fish striped bass 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 207 artificial reef, 17 lake spots in the The Outer Banks map area — the kinds striped bass hold on.
What to use for striped bass
- Live eelsHooked through the lips on a 5/0 to 7/0 circle hook and sight-cast to a cobia or dropped to a cobia on a ray — the eel is the cobia bait.
- Menhaden (pogies)Nose-hooked on a circle hook and free-lined or slow-trolled; cut in chunks for the bottom.
- HerringCut-plug for salmon: head off at an angle, guts out, two hooks in tandem so it spins slow behind a flasher or a banana weight. Whole and live on a circle hook for stripers where the herring run.
- BloodwormsA piece threaded on a #2 to 2/0 hook on a hi-lo or fish-finder rig — the striper, spot, croaker and white perch bait of the Chesapeake and the surf.
- Sand eelsFree-lined or on a light jig head for stripers, fluke and bluefish; strips teased on a fluke rig.
- Minnows (fatheads, shiners)Hooked lightly through the lips or behind the dorsal on a #6 to #2 hook under a slip bobber for crappie, perch and walleye; a big golden shiner on a 2/0 to 4/0 for largemouth, pike and stripers.
- Leader10–20 lb fluorocarbon
- Hook#2–3/0
- Jig head1/8–1/2 oz
- Braid10–30 lb
Feeds in 42–80°F water, best at 50–68°F.
Questions anglers ask
When is the best time to catch striped bass in Outer Banks & Hatteras?
Peak season is April, with fish spawning in April (often a closed or catch-and-release window — check the rule). Striped bass are in Outer Banks & Hatteras December–April. April: Spawning on the Roanoke — the Albemarle–Roanoke stock is overfished and hook-and-line harvest has been suspended; check NCDMF and NCWRC.
Where do striped bass hold in Outer Banks & Hatteras?
Look on beach / surf, pass / inlet, bridge, channel edge, fishing pier, grass flat, dock / pilings, artificial reef — around Ocracoke, Hatteras, Buxton, Avon, Rodanthe, Oregon Inlet.
What is the best bait for striped bass in Outer Banks & Hatteras?
Live bait: live eels, menhaden (pogies), herring, bloodworms. Live eels: Hooked through the lips on a 5/0 to 7/0 circle hook and sight-cast to a cobia or dropped to a cobia on a ray — the eel is the cobia bait. Tackle: leader 10–20 lb fluorocarbon, hook #2–3/0, jig head 1/8–1/2 oz, braid 10–30 lb.
What are the rules for striped bass 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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All about striped bass · The Outer Banks, the whole year