Best Times & Seasons to Fish in Holden Beach, NC (A Guide)
Holden Beach offers great fishing. Knowing the best times and seasons to fish in the local waters helps anglers plan a successful fishing trip and get the best possible results.
The best times to fish near Holden Beach, North Carolina are from May through November for amberjack, black drum, bonito, mahi-mahi, flounder, gag grouper, king mackerel, blue marlin, white marlin, redfish, black seabass, red snapper, Spanish mackerel, speckled trout, and wahoo.
Holden Beach is well-known for its beaches, parks, and fishing grounds. The region is protected from winds making for calm waters rich in sportfish.
Best Time to Fish near Holden Beach
Holden Beach is the destination where anglers can enjoy fishing year-round. The peak fishing season in Holden Beach starts in the late spring and ends in the late fall. The weather is getting warmer and water temperatures rise between the late spring and the early summer.
As a result, many fish species get active and fishing is becoming more productive. Fishing is best in summer. On the other hand, it’s getting colder in the region between the late fall and the early winter. That’s why fish become inactive and don’t feed.
It’s worth noting that the success of a fishing trip depends on many different factors. Are you going to fish in inshore or offshore waters? What fishing techniques are you planning to use? What Holden Beach fishing spots would you like to visit?
It’s incredibly important for anglers to get the answers to all these questions when planning a fishing trip. Anglers should also study the weather forecast in advance.
Holden Beach Species Breakdown: Best Times
Amberjack
Amberjack fishing is good in Holden Beach throughout the year. However, amberjack is the most active in the area between May and October.
The peak season to catch amberjack in the area starts in the early summer and ends in the early fall. Amberjack feeds actively in the early morning and in the evening. It’s possible to target amberjack in the waters near Calabash.
Black Seabass
It’s possible to target black seabass in the waters near Holden Beach at any time of the year. However, the season to catch black seabass starts in the region in April and ends in November.
Black seabass fishing is best in the area between August and October. Black seabass bites well at sunrise and at the sunset. Little River is the perfect place to target black seabass in the region.
Gag Grouper
Gag grouper is active in the waters near Holden Beach year-round. The early morning is the best time of day to catch gag grouper. Calabash is the right place to target gag grouper.
Flounder
The best times of the year to catch flounder in Holden Beach are between April and June and between October and November. Flounder is active in the early morning and in the late afternoon. Anglers can fish for flounder near Holden Beach Bridge.
King Mackerel
King mackerel is active in Holden Beach year-round. However, the peak season to catch king mackerel in the region starts in the early summer and comes to an end in the late fall.
It would be better to fish for king mackerel in the area between May and December. King mackerel bites well at dawn and at dusk. Calabash is one of the best places to target king mackerel near Holden Beach.
Mahi-Mahi
Mahi-mahi fishing is best in Holden Beach between the late spring and the late summer. Mahi-mahi feeds actively during the morning and evening hours. Mahi-mahi can be found near Navy Wreck.
Redfish
Redfish is active in the waters near Holden Beach throughout the year. The season to catch redfish in the area is high between August and December.
Redfish is great to fish for between October and November. Redfish bite well in the morning and in the afternoon. The Shallotte River Inlet is the ideal place to target redfish.
Spanish Mackerel
The best time to go Spanish mackerel fishing is between the early summer and the early fall. Spanish mackerel bites well at dawn and at dusk. It’s possible to catch Spanish mackerel in the waters near Oak Island.
Speckled Trout
Speckled trout fishing is good in Holden Beach throughout the year. The season to fish for speckled trout in the region is high between April and October.
The best time of the year to target speckled trout is between the late spring and the early fall. Shallotte River Inlet is the right place to go if you would like to catch speckled trout during a fishing trip.
Wahoo
Wahoo are active in the waters around Holden Beach year-round. The wahoo fishing season is high in the region between June and October. Navy Wreck is a fishing spot that attracts wahoo.
Recommended Fishing Guides/Charters Near Holden Beach
These Holden Beach-based charters have earned great reviews from anglers and will offer you excellent service. The captains are knowledgeable and professional and are sure to put you on fish. By clicking the links below, you will be taken to the charter’s respective profile on Fishing Booker where you can read reviews, learn more about the charter, view photos, and book online at the best rate.
| Recommended Fishing Charters | Location |
| Shallotte Outdoors Fishing Charters | Holden Beach, NC |
| Hey Now Charters | Holden Beach, NC |
| Trinity Fishing Charters | Holden Beach, NC |
| High Tide Fishing Charters | Ocean Isle Beach, NC |
| Sorta Salty Fishing Charters | Holden Beach, NC |
| Captain Hook Outdoors | Ocean Isle Beach, NC |
| Party Time II | Calabash, NC |
| Lucky Strike Charters | Calabash, NC |
| Party Time Charters | Calabash, NC |
| Laidback Charters | Ocean Isle Beach, NC |
| Dockside Fishing Charters | Oak Island, NC |
I recommend this Penn Pursuit Spinning Rod & Reel combo (available on Amazon) for inshore and nearshore fishing. It can handle everything from redfish to snapper and king mackerel. The Penn Battalion Series Spinning Rod and the Penn Battle Spinning Reel are fantastic if you want to create your combo.
Best Seasons to Book a Holden Beach Charter
Holden Beach offers different fishing options. A lot of fishing charters are available for anglers in the area. It’s possible to fish in nearshore, inshore and offshore waters.
Spring
Winter has come to an end and the peak fishing season in Holden Beach is about to begin. More fish species get active in April and fishing is getting better in May. The late spring means the start of a fishing season in the region.
In spring, such fish species as trout, flounder, and Spanish mackerel can be found in inshore waters. However, you should go fishing in offshore waters if you would like to target cobia, mahi-mahi, and wahoo.
Summer
Summer is the best time of the year to fish the waters around Holden Beach. More species are active in the local waters during the summer months.
Anglers can target amberjack, black drum, black seabass, blue marlin, white marlin, kingfish, mahi-mahi, Spanish mackerel, speckled trout as well as wahoo in summer.
Fall
The peak fishing season comes to an end in Holden Beach in the early fall. However, fishing between October and November is also good.
The late fall is the best time of the year to try the trolling fishing technique in the waters near Holden Beach. The main targets during the fall months are amberjack, black drum, black seabass, blackfin tuna, kingfish, Spanish mackerel, speckled trout, redfish as well as wahoo.
Winter
The weather is cold in the area during the winter months. However, anglers can still enjoy fishing in the local waters. It would be great to fish near the flats. Redfish and speckled trout bite well in such places during the winter months.
Black drum can be targeted near Holden Beach in winter as well. Fishing is good in the marshes, inshore and offshore waters in the late winter. In February, anglers have an opportunity to catch sailfish.
Best Time of Day to Fish Holden Beach
Fishing times for Holden Beach mainly depend on the fish species that you are targeting and the time of the year. Anglers also should take into consideration the weather conditions when planning a fishing trip.
The vast majority of fish species in the local waters feed actively in the morning and in the evening during the warm months. Water cools down and that’s why fish get active and begin to search for food. So, anglers can easily catch it.
Anglers find it comfortable to fish in the morning and in the evening during the hot summer months. It’s possible to avoid summer heat as well as sunburns during the morning and evening hours. Go fishing in the morning if you are an early bird. You can also go fishing in the evening if you don’t like to wake up early.
On the other hand, it would be better to fish in Holden Beach in the afternoon during cold months. It’s getting warmer and water temperatures rise in the afternoon. As a result, the activity of fish increases. That’s why anglers should aim to go fishing in the afternoon during the spring, fall, and winter months.
Holden Beach Fishing & Tidal Impacts
Tides affect marine ecosystems and fishing. That’s why analyzing tide times for Holden Beach has to be a key part of planning a fishing trip. Fishermen have to find out when high tide and low tide times are in the area.
Fish get active when water moves. Fishing is very productive when the tide is rising or falling. That means that it would be better to go fishing between low tide and high tide and between high tide and low tide. On the other hand, you shouldn’t fish when Holden Beach has the highest and lowest tides. Fish is inactive due to the lack of water movement.
Rising tides affect the behavior of fish. When the tide is rising, oxygen-rich waters as well as nutrients are brought to the area. As a result, fish move closer to the shore and begin to search for food. Fishing is good during falling tides because anglers can get to the deepest areas.
Storms & Holden Beach Fishing
When planning a fishing trip, anglers need to study the Holden Beach weather forecast. The rainy season in the region is between July and August. Storms and rainstorms can be expected during these months.
Fishing is good before and after storms due to changes in pressure. Barometric pressure goes up and down when it storms. As a result, fish start feeding actively.
Fishing during storms should be avoided for safety reasons. High waves and strong winds pose risk to anglers. It’s also important to note that fish is inactive during storms. Fish move to deep waters and don’t bite.
Is Winter Fishing Bad or Good in Holden Beach?
Many fish species are inactive in Holden Beach during the winter months. That’s why winter fishing is not very productive in the region. However, winter fishing is still possible in the region. In winter, anglers can catch such species as black drum, king mackerel, redfish, sailfish, and speckled trout.
Night Fishing in Holden Beach
Holden Beach is the perfect place for those anglers, who have an interest in night fishing. Summer is the best time of the year to fish in the dark. Anglers prefer to fish at night for various reasons.
Night fishing offers multiple significant benefits. It’s possible to avoid heat as well as sunburns when fishing in the dark. Anglers, who would like to avoid crowds, should also give preference to night fishing. Only a few anglers choose to fish in the dark. But most importantly, many anglers feed actively at night.
Night fishing in Holden Beach can be very successful. When fishing during nighttime, anglers can target such species as black drum, flounder, redfish, speckled trout, gag grouper, and red snapper. These fish species feed actively during nighttime.
Top Fishing Spots near Holden Beach
Calabash River
The Calabash River is a tidal river. It’s the place that you should visit if you want to catch a big fish during a fishing trip. Book a fishing charter to discover what the river has to offer. The Calabash River allows anglers to try such fishing techniques as trolling and bottom fishing.
The best time of the year to go fishing on the river is between May and August. The Calabash River is home to amberjack, barracuda, black seabass, king mackerel, mahi-mahi, Spanish mackerel, wahoo, and other species.
Navy Wreck
Navy Wreck is the perfect place if you are interested in deep-sea fishing. It is located in the waters of the Gulf Stream. Anglers have to go approximately 40 miles offshore to reach this fishing spot. Navy Wreck attracts plenty of fish.
Fishing near Navy Wreck is possible throughout the year, but anglers get the best results in the late summer and during the fall months. The main targets are bonito, mahi-mahi as well as wahoo.
Shallotte River Inlet
Shallotte River Inlet is another good spot to fish near Holden Beach. The fishing season in this place is high between April and September. It’s the perfect place to spend a day in nature. Shallotte River Inlet offers great fishing and beautiful views.
Here, anglers can enjoy fishing near the shore and avoid crowds. So, you should go no further than half a mile to get to the most productive fishing spots in the area. The top targeted fish species here are black drum, blacktip shark, red drum, flounder, redfish, speckled trout, and others.
Lockwood Folly Inlet
Lockwood Folly Inlet is a short tidal river that’s located in the western part of the island. Lockwood Folly Inlet provides anglers with easy access to the Galloway Flats. This fishing destination has gained popularity among inshore anglers.
It makes a lot of sense to visit Lockwood Folly Inlet during the cold months. It’s the perfect place to target such species as flounder, red drum, spotted seatrout, and others.
Holden Beach Bridge
Holden Beach attracts so many inshore anglers. There are many places where anglers can fish inshore in the area. Holden Beach Bridge is a spot that provides inshore anglers with great fishing opportunities. It’s possible to fish on the bridge year-round.
However, fishing on Holden Beach Bridge is the best between the late spring and the late summer. Such species as black drum, flounder, redfish, and speckled trout are the main targets in the waters near Holden Beach.
Shore/Surf Fishing: Best Times & Seasons
Holden Beach is the ideal place to book a charter to explore the local waters and enjoy fishing. However, it’s not necessary to book a charter to fish in the region. It’s also possible to fish from shore in the area.
Surf fishing is possible on Holden Beach. Anglers can surffish anywhere along the beach. It would be great to surf fish on the beach during spring, fall, and winter months. There are no swimmers at these times of the year.
The Intracoastal Waterway shoreline attracts a lot of anglers, who are interested in surf fishing. There are many inlets near Holden Beach. The inlets offer incredible opportunities to anglers, who would like to fish from shore.
The piers are also the ideal place for anglers, who are interested in surf fishing. There is a pier near Holden Beach. So, anglers can enjoy fishing from Holden Beach Fishing Pier. Ocean Isle Beach Pier is another good fishing pier near Holden Beach. Sunset Beach Fishing Pier and Shangrila Pier are also popular fishing piers near Holden Beach.
For a complete breakdown of the best times to fish near Charleston, please check out this helpful guide. For a complete breakdown of the best times to fish in the Outer Banks, please check out this helpful guide. For a complete breakdown of the best times to fish in North Carolina, please check out this helpful guide. For a complete breakdown of the best times to fish in Ocean Isle Beach, please check out this helpful guide.
