CAPE POINT

Fishing Cape Point: what to know before you go

The point at Buxton is the best surf drum fishing on the East Coast when the fall run is on. It is also 4WD sand that moves after every storm, and a mile of soft sand on foot when the beach is closed to trucks.

Right now on the water Tide table

Surf breaking at first light on the Hatteras beach

This hour

Reading the buoys for cape point…

A season at Cape Point

Timing is local. What follows is what runs here, in the order the year brings it.

When Cape Point fishes, by species
Target	Months	On the day
Red drum	September-NovemberThe fall run. Bulls on the point, puppies in the sound.	The fall run. Bulls on the point, puppies in the sound.
Bluefish	March-May and October-NovemberBlues show on both ends of the season, often at first light.	Blues show on both ends of the season, often at first light.
Sea mullet	April-June and September-OctoberBloodworms and shrimp fished in the sloughs close in.	Bloodworms and shrimp fished in the sloughs close in.
Pompano	June-OctoberSand fleas on a light pyramid, right behind the shorebreak.	Sand fleas on a light pyramid, right behind the shorebreak.
Spanish mackerel	May-SeptemberClear water and a moving tide. A spoon or a Gotcha will do.	Clear water and a moving tide. A spoon or a Gotcha will do.
Speckled trout	October-DecemberSound side and the inlet edges, not the ocean point.	Sound side and the inlet edges, not the ocean point.

Rules of entry

Everything that stands between the parking spot and a baited hook.

Access, cost, permit and air-down for Cape Point
Question	Details
Approach	4WD, or a long walk
Money	No fee to walk on. Driving the beach needs a permit.
Documents	A Cape Hatteras National Seashore ORV permit is required to drive on the beach.
Soft sand tires	Air down to 18-20 PSI before you leave the pavement. The sand at the point is soft and turns softer in a west wind.

The permit page →

When the beach is closed to vehicles for birds, the point is about a mile of soft sand on foot. Carry light.
The bar that makes the point shifts after every storm. Read the beach when you get there instead of trusting last season’s mark.
No facilities and thin cell service out there. Water, a shovel, and a tow strap are not optional.

What the regulars do differently

Local habits beat generic advice. These three are the ones worth remembering.

Fish the falling tide. The drum follow bait out of the sound and the point gathers them.
Fresh mullet beats frozen every time. The chunk that still smells like the ocean gets the bite.
Cast just past the first bar into the slough and hold the rod. A drum usually hooks itself on a circle hook.

Other places around here

Keep these in your pocket if Cape Point is not fishing.

Hatteras town guide

Where to stay and eat on the south end.

Tide times

The ocean stations, not the sound ones.

Species notes for this spot

Each fish from the calendar appears once more below, with the local note and a link to go deeper.

RED DRUM

Red Drum

The fall run. Bulls on the point, puppies in the sound.

BLUEFISH

Bluefish

Blues show on both ends of the season, often at first light.

SEA MULLET

Sea Mullet

Bloodworms and shrimp fished in the sloughs close in.

POMPANO

Pompano

Sand fleas on a light pyramid, right behind the shorebreak.

SPANISH

Spanish Mackerel

Clear water and a moving tide. A spoon or a Gotcha will do.

SPECKLED TROUT

Speckled Trout

Sound side and the inlet edges, not the ocean point.