North Carolina sounds and bays

Middle Sound Fishing

New Hanover County and Pender County, coastal fishing waters.

Get driving directions All New Hanover County spots

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North Carolina coast

Angling Middle Sound

You will find Middle Sound, a sound, in New Hanover County and Pender County. Roughly 0.1 square miles of water carry the name on Census maps. The coastal-joint-inland map marks its center as coastal fishing waters. Striped bass rules here follow the Central Southern Management Area.

Close by sit 3 fishing piers, 11 coastal launches and 49 DCM access sites.

3piers within 12 mi

11launches within 10 mi

8reefs within 25 mi

Coastalfishing waters

Coastal and joint limits

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Map

Middle Sound plotted out

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

From shore

Bank access, Middle Sound

Piers ringing Middle Sound

Johnnie Mercer's Fishing Pierocean fishing pier, 4 miles
Trails End Parksound/river access pier, 9 miles
Jolly Roger Pierocean fishing pier, 10 miles, blanket license

49 NC DCM access sites lie within 8 miles; DCM records parking and restrooms but no fishing field.

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

Launches

Ramps by Middle Sound

Unnamed slipway (New Hanover County)boat ramp, coastal waters, under a mile
Unnamed slipway (New Hanover County)boat ramp, coastal waters, 1 mile
Unnamed slipway (Pender County)boat ramp, coastal waters, 4 miles
Wrightsville Beach5 lanes, 62 trailer spaces, 4 docks, coastal waters, 4 miles
Unnamed slipway (New Hanover County)boat ramp, coastal waters, 5 miles
Survey Hand-carry Boat Slipboat ramp, coastal waters, 6 miles
Unnamed slipway (Pender County)boat ramp, coastal waters, 6 miles
Unnamed slipway (Pender County)boat ramp, coastal waters, 8 miles
Unnamed slipway (Pender County)boat ramp, coastal waters, 9 miles
Trails End1 lane, 40 trailer spaces, 4 docks, coastal waters, 9 miles
Unnamed slipway (Pender County)boat ramp, coastal waters, 10 miles

NCWRC Boating Access Areas and OpenStreetMap slipways.

Reefs

NCDMF artificial reefs off Middle Sound

Reef	Depth (ft)	Materials	Built	Distance
AR-364 Billy Murrell Reef	44	Vessel (5), Concrete (2), Fiberglass (1), Atlantic Pods (1)	1988 to 2015	2 miles
AR-370 Meares Harris Reef	52	Vessel (7), Concrete (4), Atlantic Pods (1)	1970 to 2015	6 miles
AR-360 Topsail Reef	44	Concrete (2), Reef Ball (1)	1992 to 2023	11 miles
AR-372 Veteran's Memorial Reef	48	Concrete (4), Vessel (2), Reef Ball (2), Metal (1), Atlantic Pods (1)	1986 to 2024	11 miles
AR-362 Tom Boyette Reef	54	Concrete (2), Metal (1)	1986 to 2002	14 miles
AR-376	60	Concrete (2), Metal (1)	1986 to 1997	15 miles
AR-378 Phillip Wolfe Reef	40	Concrete (7), Reef Ball (2), Vessel (1), Atlantic Pods (1)	1993 to 2015	17 miles
AR-491				18 miles

NCDMF Artificial Reef Program. All North Carolina reefs.

Inlets

Passes to the sea near Middle Sound

Mason Inletinlet, 1 mile
Rich Inletinlet, 3 miles
Unnamed breakwater (Wrightsville Beach)breakwater, 6 miles
Masonboro Inletinlet, 6 miles
New Topsail Inletinlet, 8 miles
Unnamed breakwater (Wilmington)breakwater, 11 miles

USGS GNIS, NC DCM inlet hazard areas and OpenStreetMap.

Limits

What you may keep from Middle Sound

Rows for coastal and joint waters and 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

Hired help on Middle Sound

Guided trips on Middle 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

Pick up bait near Middle Sound

Canaday's Yacht Basinmarina, Wilmington, 1 mile
Mason's Marinamarina, Wilmington, 1 mile
Marsh Creek Marine & Dry Storage, 2570 Scotts Hill Loop Rdmarina, Wilmington, 4 miles
West Marinemarine supply store, New Hanover, 4 miles
Redix Storecountry store with bait, Wrightsville Beach, 4 miles
The Bridge Tender Marinamarina, Wilmington, 5 miles

Nearby

Out from Middle Sound

Where to sleep near Middle Sound

Ogden2 miles
Wrightsville Beach4 miles
Murraysville5 miles
Hampstead7 miles

Sounds around Middle Sound

Greenville Sound6 miles southwest
Topsail Sound7 miles northeast
Masonboro Sound9 miles southwest
Myrtle Grove Sound13 miles southwest

Middle Sound, county by county

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Fish ID

Species around Middle Sound, pictured

Southern flounder, North Carolina — Southern flounder
Photo: Mick Johnson, CC BY 3.0

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

Sheepshead, North Carolina — Sheepshead
Photo: Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, CC BY 2.0

Cobia, North Carolina — Cobia
Photo: Jorge Alarcon or Dr. Daniel Benetti, Public domain

Answers

Questions people send about Middle Sound

Which county borders Middle Sound?

In New Hanover County and Pender County, coastal fishing waters at its center.

Do I need a CRFL on Middle Sound?

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

Can I keep a red drum from Middle Sound?

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

How many flounder can I keep on Middle Sound?

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

Is Middle Sound in the Albemarle striped bass area?

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

Which ramp reaches Middle Sound?

11 coastal launches; the nearest is Unnamed slipway (New Hanover County).

Is there pier fishing close to Middle Sound?

3 piers within 12 miles; try Johnnie Mercer's Fishing Pier.

Can I book a guide for Middle Sound?

County listings show 35 charters and guides.

Where do I stock up for Middle Sound?

Canaday's Yacht Basin, roughly 1 mile from the water.

Add Middle Sound to the plans

Limits change by proclamation; check before you go.

North Carolina coast North Carolina piers