Wading opportunities near Beaufort

Speckled trout love the current that deeper channels narrowed by things like bridge crossings often provide.

Plenty of brackish-water creeks are easily located along the coast of both Carolinas, and any bridge crossings in areas where water salinity is right for speckled trout and redfish are subject to hold them in October.

But guide Will Jones favors those close to his home in Beaufort, N.C., and a relatively short ride on US 70 will take you over some of his best spots.

“The North River bridge is a good place, said Jones.  “Trout will really stack up in an area like this, but it is an open area and can be hard to wade if the wind is making waves and they’re hitting you in the stomach. Sometimes, you’ll have to cover more water to find the reds, but if you get away from the access point and find a spartina grass flat that floods on a flood tide, that would be your best wade-fishing for them.”

Heading east on US 70, the next stop is only a few miles away at the bridge across Ward’s Creek. From here, it’s 10 miles east to the bridge across Williston Creek and only a few miles more to the bridge over Smyrna Creek. In mostly protected areas, these are perfect areas to wade. Only minutes apart via US 70, running between spots in a boat would be time-consuming and impractical.

The bridge from the mainland to Harkers Island can be reached by taking Harkers Island Road south from US 70. Jones said that there is a flat on the north side that’s suitable for wading and reasonably protected from the predominantly north wind. This is a popular area where fishermen are often anchored in boats, and wading anglers should arrive early to stake out a spot.

Jones offer two more nearby places of interest: rock jetties at Radio Island on US 70 between Morehead City and Beaufort and Fort Macon on the eastern tip of Atlantic Beach. Fishing styles are similar, despite deeper water and strong currents. Heavier, weighted soft plastics kept in contact with the rocks are recommended.

About Dusty Wilson 274 Articles
Dusty Wilson of Raleigh, N.C., is a lifelong outdoorsman. He is the manager of Tarheel Nursery in Angier and can be followed on his blog at InsideNCFishing.com.

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