Hello! My husband and I are looking to come to the OBX around mid May. We will be bringing our kayaks (sit on top fishing kayaks) and are planning to fish. This will be our first time visiting coastal NC, so I have a couple questions.

How is the fishing typically around Mid-May? I know this can change year to year, but generally speaking?

What area would you recommend that would have the most access to more protected waters for kayaking/fishing? Ideally, we would also like to be in an area with restaurants/shops/maybe a brewery or something for other things to do in our downtime. We were in Murrels Inlet, SC kayak fishing last fall, and the more protected waters around the Chesapeake last summer, so we have some experience in kayaking/fishing coastal waters (but it is limited). We are not looking to get ourselves into open water or crazy currents, as we do not have experience with it and would not be comfortable with it. In SC, we stuck to the marshes and intercoastal waterways. In VA, we stayed in the smaller waterways around the Chesapeake.

We would likely also surf fish or pier fish if one is nearby as well.

Any help is appreciated!! We want to make sure we are making the smartest decision as to where we will be kayaking. I figured it would be best to ask people most familiar with the waters, so I came here! Thanks in advance for any and all help!

I also wanted to add that we like to do a kayak fishing tour at the beginning of our trip as well (or a regular kayaking trip if a fishing one isn’t available in the area) to get a better understanding of the waters when possible. We also usually do an inshore boat fishing trip as well while there. If there are any suggestions there as well. I can sort that out though once I figure out the best area for what we are looking to do. Thanks again!!

I'm not a Kayak Fisherman, but as a Charterboat Captain, I'm very proud of all the Outer Banks Fishing Opportunities. I thought I'd give some general info on Kayak Fishing. It is just increasing in popularity around here because of vacationers in the sport. The Outer Banks has always been a power boat mecca. There are probably over 100 Charterboats of all shapes and sizes between Oregon Inlet and Hatteras. Kayak Fishing is done in the Sound for Trout and Puppy Drum which should be available as long as Sound waters warm up enough. There is more interest in the area from Kitty Hawk down all the way down to Hatteras. Not the areas up in Duck and Corolla, although the water is much calmer and shallower, but more on the brackish side almost changing to Fresh above Corolla. There are quite a few places to launch. Some people like the Oregon Inlet area, but you have some significant currents and lots of boat traffic. Summer Trout fishing anywhere in the Sound along the Marshes was excellent last year. As far as Kayak Guides go, there are some, not heavily advertised, the business is just getting going. I would put up some Posts or Questions on various Facebook sites (Fish OBX, Outer Banks Locals, Pure OBX, Outer Banks NC) all these will get you more specific info. One last thing, please stay away from the main channels when the Charter Fleets are coming in. Lots of Wake Action. Good luck.

Hello! My husband and I are looking to come to the OBX around mid May. We will be bringing our kayaks (sit on top fishing kayaks) and are planning to fish. This will be our first time visiting coastal NC, so I have a couple questions.

Where will you be?
If you are on hatteras it has some excellent soundside fishing with just a few areas that i would not recommend.
As far as your looking for shops and breweries that kind of limits you to just a few areas and none of the FWS or CHNRS areas because of their remote areas.

@Pickle Thank you so much for all the info! I will look into the sites you mentioned for more specifics. We will definitely stay away from areas with a lot of boat traffic. We avoided areas like that when we were in SC/VA, and opted for other boat ramps/areas to launch our kayaks that were more for kayaks/smaller boats.

@J4yDubs @Alexy We haven’t picked an area yet. That is what I am trying to sort out. We are looking for an area with the best access to more protected waters/marshes/etc that is also good for fishing that time of year (Mid May). We stay away from open water/heavy boat traffic as much as possible. We would like to have other stuff around if possible so there are other things to do in our downtime or if the weather doesn’t cooperate. It’s not imperative, but having something within a reasonable driving distance at least would be a bonus.

If you are truly interested in good fishing, numerous launch points on Hatteras Island. And since you are talking mid May, you will probably encounter some bull reds as they make their journey from the oceans to the rivers. And if you are close enough to an inlet, a cobia would definitely not be out of the question. This I can tell you from experience in a yak in Hatteras about 2 miles out along a channel. And the water in Pamlico Sound are generally not that deep, though there are some deeper channels and holes. Best of luck, and let us know how you make out. I would love to help ya out more, but my expertise on the sound is late August and fishing is off the charts than. Mid May, I'm still planted on the beach

We’ll be kayak fishing Easter week at Bens Point in Albermarle sound. How warm does the water temp need to be to catch trout and puppy drum?

We’ll be kayak fishing Easter week at Bens Point in Albermarle sound. How warm does the water temp need to be to catch trout and puppy drum?