OBX Red Drum Season — When & Where to Catch Them
North Carolina's state fish runs the Outer Banks surf year-round, but three windows produce most of the action.
The three OBX drum seasons
Spring puppy drum & slot reds — April through early June
Water temps in the high 50s and low 60s pull schools of slot-size reds (18 to 27 inches) onto the bars from south to north. Best beaches: Hatteras south side, Avon south of the pier, Salvo, and Nags Head north of Jennette's. Fish the falling tide into slack low with cut mullet, fresh bunker, or shrimp on a fish-finder rig with a 6/0 to 8/0 circle hook.
Summer drum — late June through August
Smaller pods of slot drum hang in the deeper sloughs. Bigger fish move to the inlets — Oregon Inlet, Hatteras Inlet, Drum Inlet. Bait fishing on the inlet bars at night is the most productive method. Live finger mullet or pinfish on a sliding sinker rig. Tide change is critical — fish the first two hours of either the rising or falling tide.
Fall citation drum — late September through November
The famous OBX fall run. Big bull reds (40 to 50+ inches) migrate south past Cape Point at Buxton. Citation-class fish (40 inches+ released) are landed every night during peak. Best window: a full moon spring tide in October, falling tide into slack at Cape Point. Heavy surf gear, 8 to 12 oz pyramid sinker, big chunk of fresh-caught mullet or bluefish on a 10/0 circle hook.
Best tides for drum
The classic OBX drum bite is the last two hours of falling tide into the first hour of incoming. Slack high produces very little. The exception is fall citation fishing at Cape Point where the bite can happen on any tide if a school is moving past, but moving water still trumps slack. Cross-reference the Hatteras tide chart or Oregon Inlet tide chart with the sunrise/sunset times to find the prime windows.
NC red drum regulations (verify before fishing)
- Slot: 18 to 27 inches total length
- Daily creel: 1 fish per person within the slot
- Citation: 40 inches and released — registered with NCDMF
- License: NC Coastal Recreational Fishing License required
Confirm current regs at the NC Division of Marine Fisheries site before keeping fish. For deeper coverage of rigs, baits, and the surf fishing tactics that work on the OBX see OuterBanksSurfFishing.com.