Kitty Hawk Bay Fishing
Dare County, joint fishing waters.
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An overview of Kitty Hawk Bay
Kitty Hawk Bay is a coastal bay reaching Dare County. The named water covers about 5 square miles in Census data. Under 15A NCAC 03Q .0202 its center point lies in joint fishing waters. For striped bass, the Albemarle Sound Management Area applies.
Mapped access near it includes 8 fishing piers, 10 coastal launches and 70 DCM access sites.
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NCDMF reef guide, NC DCM access sites, NCWRC access areas and OpenStreetMap, checked October 2026.
Walk-on spots near Kitty Hawk Bay
Piers to fish near Kitty Hawk Bay
- Avalon Fishing Pierocean fishing pier, 2 miles, blanket license
- Kitty Hawk Pierocean fishing pier, 4 miles, blanket license
- Nags Head Fishing Pierocean fishing pier, 7 miles
- Soundside Park & Boardwalksound/river access pier, 9 miles
- Bebop's Multi Use Fishing Piersound/river fishing pier (OSM), 9 miles
- Manteo Public Fishing Areapublic fishing area pier, 11 miles
- Jennette's Pierocean fishing pier, 11 miles, blanket license
- Little Bridge Accesssound/river access pier, 11 miles
Shoreline access around Kitty Hawk Bay
- W. Hayman Blvd. Estuarine Access, Kill Devil Hills5 parking, estuarine
- Moor Shores Estuarine Access, Kill Devil Hills5 parking, estuarine
- W. Arch Street Estuarine Access, Kill Devil Hillsestuarine
- Windgrass Circle, Kitty Hawk6 parking, estuarine
- Kitty Hawk Recycling Center and Boat Ramp, Kitty Hawk20 parking, estuarine
- W. Third Street Estuarine Access, Kill Devil Hillsestuarine
- Arch Street Ocean Access, Kill Devil Hillsocean
- Helga Street Ocean Access, Kill Devil Hillsocean
- Chowan Street Ocean Access, Kill Devil Hillsocean
- Hayman Boulevard Ocean Access, Kill Devil Hills36 parking, ocean
- Walker Street Ocean Access, Kill Devil Hillsocean
- Eden Street Ocean Access, Kill Devil Hillsocean
There are 70 DCM beach and waterfront access points within 8 miles of Kitty Hawk Bay.
NCDMF pier list and NC DCM Beach and Waterfront Access sites.
Launches within a drive of Kitty Hawk Bay
- Avalon Beach2 lanes, 22 trailer spaces, 3 docks, joint waters, 2 miles
- Unnamed slipway (Dare County)boat ramp, joint waters, 2 miles
- Unnamed slipway (Currituck County)boat ramp, joint waters, 6 miles
- Unnamed slipway (Dare County)boat ramp, joint waters, 6 miles
- Unnamed slipway (Currituck County)boat ramp, joint waters, 6 miles
- Unnamed slipway (Currituck County)boat ramp, joint waters, 8 miles
- Duck Boardwalk Kayak Launch1 lane, joint waters, 9 miles
- Unnamed slipway (Dare County)boat ramp, coastal waters, 9 miles
- Unnamed slipway (Dare County)boat ramp, coastal waters, 9 miles
- Manns Harbor3 lanes, 78 trailer spaces, 3 docks, coastal waters, 10 miles
NCWRC Boating Access Areas and OpenStreetMap slipways.
NCDMF reef sites near Kitty Hawk Bay
| Reef | Depth (ft) | Materials | Built | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AR-197 Roanoke Island | 15 | Natural Material (34), Tires (1) | 2019 to 2021 | 6 miles |
| AR-130 | 60 | Reef Ball (88), Concrete (47), Metal (3) | 1986 to 2020 | 11 miles |
| AR-140 | 57 | Concrete (51), Metal (1), Vessel (1) | 1986 to 2021 | 12 miles |
| AR-145 | 65 | Concrete (56), Vessel (3), Aircraft (2) | 1944 to 2021 | 20 miles |
NCDMF Artificial Reef Program. All North Carolina reefs.
Inlet structure around Kitty Hawk Bay
- Unnamed breakwater (Manns Harbor)breakwater, 12 miles
- Unnamed breakwater (Wanchese)breakwater, 15 miles
USGS GNIS, NC DCM inlet hazard areas and OpenStreetMap.
Kitty Hawk Bay rules
Coastal limits plus the Albemarle Sound Management Area striped bass rule.
| 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 (Albemarle Sound 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.
Guides and tackle around Kitty Hawk Bay
Hire help on Kitty Hawk Bay
- Bak Bar Charterscoastal charter (trip type not stated), Hatteras Landing / Teach's Lair marinas, (252) 216-8576
- Beach Bum Fishingcoastal charter (trip type not stated), Kill Devil Hills, (252) 449-0232
- Capt Johnny Inccoastal charter (trip type not stated), Manteo, (252) 473-9414
- Carolina Girl Charterscoastal charter (trip type not stated), Hatteras Landing / Teach's Lair marinas, (252) 256-1672
- Country Girl Charterscoastal charter (trip type not stated), Manteo, (252) 473-5881
- Drum Roll Charterscoastal charter (trip type not stated), Hatteras Landing / Teach's Lair marinas, (252) 305-3012
- Elizabeth Grace Charterscoastal charter (trip type not stated), Hatteras Landing / Teach's Lair marinas, (252) 216-5733
- Fintasia Charterscoastal charter (trip type not stated), Manteo, (252) 473-6211
Bait counters nearest Kitty Hawk Bay
- Jawfly Charters–Fishing & Crabbingbait and tackle shop, Kitty Hawk, 2 miles
- T W's Bait & Tackle, 3864 N Croatan Hwybait and tackle shop, Kitty Hawk, 2 miles
- TW's Bait and Tacklebait and tackle shop, Nags Head, 5 miles
- T W's Bait & Tackle, 2330 S Croatan Hwybait and tackle shop, Nags Head, 5 miles
- Bob's Bait and Tacklebait and tackle shop, Duck, 9 miles
- Sharky's Bait Tackle & Chartersbait and tackle shop, Kitty Hawk, 9 miles
Just around Kitty Hawk Bay
Towns encircling Kitty Hawk Bay
- Kitty Hawk2 miles
- Kill Devil Hills3 miles
- Southern Shores5 miles
- Nags Head8 miles
More sounds near Kitty Hawk Bay
- Buzzard Bay4 miles southeast
- Roanoke Sound8 miles southeast
- Croatan Sound13 miles south
- Albemarle Sound21 miles west
Counties that share Kitty Hawk Bay
Piscifun reels and a scale grip
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Before a trip to Kitty Hawk Bay
Which stretch of the coast holds Kitty Hawk Bay?
Look along Dare County, mapped as joint fishing waters.
Will an inland license work on Kitty Hawk Bay?
Joint waters accept either the inland license ($32 resident) or the Coastal Recreational Fishing License ($20 resident) from age 16.
Which red drum rules apply on Kitty Hawk Bay?
Red drum: 1 a day, 18-27 in; Year-round.
What are the flounder rules on Kitty Hawk Bay?
Flounder: 1 a day, 15 in minimum; season Sept. 1-14, 2026.
Can I keep striped bass from Kitty Hawk Bay?
Albemarle Sound Management Area applies. Season closed; no harvest allowed
Does a ramp reach Kitty Hawk Bay?
Avalon Beach, among 10 coastal launches.
Which piers are close to Kitty Hawk Bay?
Avalon Fishing Pier is nearest of 8 piers.
Is there a head boat near Kitty Hawk Bay?
78 charters and guides in the bordering counties.
Who sells bait close to Kitty Hawk Bay?
Jawfly Charters–Fishing & Crabbing, about 2 miles away.
Get to Kitty Hawk Bay this year
Know the water class and the limits first.