North Carolina sounds and bays

Greenville Sound Fishing

New Hanover County, coastal fishing waters.

Get driving directions All New Hanover County spots

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Photo of Wrightsville Beach: Ken Thomas, Public domain

North Carolina coast

Greenville Sound, sized up

In New Hanover County, Greenville Sound forms a sound of the coast. The state rule map puts its center in coastal fishing waters. The Central Southern Management Area sets striped bass seasons here.

State and OSM layers show 3 fishing piers, 11 coastal launches and 52 DCM access sites nearby.

3piers within 12 mi

11launches within 10 mi

8reefs within 25 mi

Coastalfishing waters

Coastal and joint limits

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Map

Greenville Sound on an NCWRC-style map

NCDMF reef guide, NC DCM access sites, NCWRC access areas and OpenStreetMap, checked October 2026.

From shore

Bank and pier access on Greenville Sound

Piers a drive from Greenville Sound

Johnnie Mercer's Fishing Pierocean fishing pier, 3 miles
Trails End Parksound/river access pier, 3 miles
Belville Riverwalk Parksound/river access pier, 9 miles

DCM lists 52 public access points within 8 miles, without saying which allow fishing.

NCDMF pier list and NC DCM Beach and Waterfront Access sites.

Launches

Other ramps by Greenville Sound

Unnamed slipway (New Hanover County)boat ramp, coastal waters, 1 mile
Wrightsville Beach5 lanes, 62 trailer spaces, 4 docks, coastal waters, 2 miles
Trails End1 lane, 40 trailer spaces, 4 docks, coastal waters, 3 miles
Unnamed slipway (New Hanover County)boat ramp, coastal waters, 6 miles
Unnamed slipway (New Hanover County)boat ramp, coastal waters, 7 miles
Survey Hand-carry Boat Slipboat ramp, coastal waters, 7 miles
Unnamed slipway (New Hanover County)boat ramp, coastal waters, 8 miles
Dram Tree Park2 lanes, 36 trailer spaces, 2 docks, joint waters, 8 miles
Unnamed slipway (Pender County)boat ramp, coastal waters, 10 miles
Unnamed slipway (Brunswick County)boat ramp, joint waters, 10 miles
Snows Cut5 lanes, 81 trailer spaces, 5 docks, coastal waters, 10 miles

NCWRC Boating Access Areas and OpenStreetMap slipways.

Reefs

Structure off Greenville Sound

Reef	Depth (ft)	Materials	Built	Distance
AR-370 Meares Harris Reef	52	Vessel (7), Concrete (4), Atlantic Pods (1)	1970 to 2015	4 miles
AR-372 Veteran's Memorial Reef	48	Concrete (4), Vessel (2), Reef Ball (2), Metal (1), Atlantic Pods (1)	1986 to 2024	7 miles
AR-364 Billy Murrell Reef	44	Vessel (5), Concrete (2), Fiberglass (1), Atlantic Pods (1)	1988 to 2015	7 miles
AR-378 Phillip Wolfe Reef	40	Concrete (7), Reef Ball (2), Vessel (1), Atlantic Pods (1)	1993 to 2015	11 miles
AR-491				11 miles
AR-378B	39	Vessel (3)	1982 to 1982	12 miles
AR-376	60	Concrete (2), Metal (1)	1986 to 1997	13 miles
AR-382 Dredge Wreck Reef	58	Reef Ball (4), Vessel (3)	1931 to 2001	17 miles

NCDMF Artificial Reef Program. All North Carolina reefs.

Inlets

Ocean inlets near Greenville Sound

Masonboro Inletinlet, under a mile
Unnamed breakwater (Wrightsville Beach)breakwater, 1 mile
Mason Inletinlet, 5 miles
Unnamed breakwater (Wilmington)breakwater, 8 miles
Unnamed breakwater (Wilmington)breakwater, 8 miles
Unnamed breakwater (Wilmington)breakwater, 8 miles

USGS GNIS, NC DCM inlet hazard areas and OpenStreetMap.

Limits

Creel limits, Greenville Sound

NCDMF rows, striped bass set by the Central Southern Management Area.

Species	Daily creel	Size	Season
Red drum	1 a day	18-27 in	Year-round
Flounder (all species)	1 a day	15 in minimum	Sept. 1-14, 2026
Spotted seatrout	3 a day	14-20 in, plus 1 over 26 in	Open (reopened July 1, 2026)
Weakfish	1 a day	12 in minimum	open all year unless closed by proclamation
Black drum	10 a day	14-25 in, plus 1 over 25 in	open all year unless closed by proclamation
Sheepshead	5 a day	14 in minimum	open all year unless closed by proclamation
Striped bass (Central Southern Management Area)	none may be kept	no size limit	open all year unless closed by proclamation
Bluefish	5 a day	no size limit	open all year unless closed by proclamation
Spanish mackerel	15 a day	12 in minimum	open all year unless closed by proclamation
Cobia	1 a day	36 in minimum	May 1 – Dec. 31, 2026
Spot	3 a day	14-20 in, plus 1 over 26 in	Open (reopened July 1, 2026)
Atlantic croaker	50 a day	no size limit	open all year unless closed by proclamation
Blue crab (recreational)	50 a day	no size limit	open all year unless closed by proclamation

NCDMF recreational size and bag limits and 2026 proclamations, checked October 2026. Coastal and joint limits.

Local help

For-hire boats and bait at Greenville Sound

Guides working near Greenville Sound

Cape Fear Charters & Guide Servicecoastal charter (trip type not stated), Wilmington, (910) 620-1683
Cape Fear Guidecoastal charter (trip type not stated), Carolina Beach, (910) 619-0928
Capt. Jot Owens / Jot It Down Fishing Charterscoastal charter (trip type not stated), Wrightsville Beach, (910) 233-4139
Capture Charters Fishingcoastal charter (trip type not stated), Carolina Beach, (910) 262-1450
Corona Daze Charterscoastal charter (trip type not stated), Wilmington, (910) 619-8509
Eastern Anglingcoastal charter (trip type not stated), Wrightsville Beach, (910) 660-9631
Fish Hunter Charters Inccoastal charter (trip type not stated), Carolina Beach, (910) 458-3362
Fish Witch Charterscoastal charter (trip type not stated), Carolina Beach, (910) 458-5855

Bait stores near Greenville Sound

Intracoastal Anglerbait and tackle shop, Wilmington, 2 miles
Bradley Creek Marinamarina, Wilmington, 2 miles
Dockside Marinamarina, Wilmington, 2 miles
Wrightsville Beach Marinamarina, Wrightsville Beach, 2 miles
Redix Storecountry store with bait, Wrightsville Beach, 2 miles
The Bridge Tender Marinamarina, Wilmington, 2 miles

Nearby

Neighbors of Greenville Sound on the map

Places to stay by Greenville Sound

Wrightsville Beach2 miles
Wilmington4 miles
Ogden5 miles
Myrtle Grove6 miles

Other bays by Greenville Sound

Masonboro Sound3 miles southwest
Middle Sound6 miles northeast
Myrtle Grove Sound7 miles southwest
Topsail Sound13 miles northeast

Which counties Greenville Sound crosses

New Hanover County

From Piscifun

Spinning, baitcasting and a weigh grip

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Fish ID

Species to expect near Greenville Sound

Red drum, North Carolina — Red drum
Photo: Steve Hillebrand, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Public domain

Black drum, North Carolina — Black drum
Photo: Attackgirl (talk) (Uploads), Public domain

Cobia, North Carolina — Cobia
Photo: Stefanie Tellex. (talk) (Uploads), Public domain

Spot, North Carolina — Spot
Photo: NOAA's Fisheries Collection; Collection of Brandi Noble, Public domain

Answers

Greenville Sound in a few answers

What route leads to Greenville Sound?

New Hanover County, which the rule map calls coastal fishing waters.

Which license works on Greenville Sound?

Coastal waters take a Coastal Recreational Fishing License from age 16 ($20 resident, $40 nonresident).

Is red drum open on Greenville Sound?

Red drum: 1 a day, 18-27 in; Year-round.

When is flounder season on Greenville Sound?

Flounder: 1 a day, 15 in minimum; season Sept. 1-14, 2026.

Is striped bass open on Greenville Sound?

Central Southern Management Area applies. Was open April 1-30, 2026; 1 fish, 18 in minimum, 22-27 in protected

Which ramp is nearest Greenville Sound?

Start at Unnamed slipway (New Hanover County); there are 11 coastal launches.

Is there pier fishing at Greenville Sound?

3 piers, the closest Johnnie Mercer's Fishing Pier.

Which captains take paid trips on Greenville Sound?

31 charters and guides list a county on it.

Which tackle counter is nearest Greenville Sound?

Try Intracoastal Angler (2 miles).

Load the boat for Greenville Sound

Coastal and joint waters each have their license rules; read them first.

North Carolina coast North Carolina piers