The bait arrived on schedule. In early October, Robin at the Jolly Roger Pier told Fisherman's Post that anglers were seeing "tons of baitfish," that the king mackerel bite had turned on with multiple kings up to 32 pounds, and that night bottom fishing was producing red drum up to 31 inches along with Virginia mullet, pompano, bluefish and black drum. Down the island, Spanish mackerel were hitting Gotcha plugs off Surf City Pier, and Seaview Pier reported the mullet migration starting up.
That part of fall is familiar. Two things around it are new. Since September 11, nobody has been able to drive the beach strand to New Topsail Inlet. And many of the fish showing up in this year's reports are ones the rules say must go back in the water. Put those two changes together and the south end on foot and the pier become the center of the season.
The truck tradition ended in September
On September 11, 2026, the Town of Topsail Beach posted a notice that closed out decades of driving to the point. It reads in part:
"For decades, driving down to the inlet to fish, spend time with family, and enjoy the coast has been a treasured tradition. Balancing the protection of this delicate sanctuary with our Town's traditional uses was a difficult decision."
Vehicles, horseback riding and off-leash dogs are no longer allowed on the beach strand inside the Topsail Nature Preserve. The town will not issue or renew beach driving or horseback permits, and only emergency, municipal and coastal management vehicles can drive there. Dogs now have to be leashed at all times at the South End. Foot access stays open, and the notice welcomes anglers by name.
The notice came about 13 months after the land changed hands. The North Carolina Coastal Land Trust closed on the property on April 29, 2025. Port City Daily described the tract as about 150 acres bought from the McCullen, McLeod and Oppegaard families. The money came from $3.15 million through the NC Land and Water Fund, $500,000 from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, $1.9 million from two U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service grants, and private gifts from roughly 800 donors. The town separately bought the one-acre parking area for $800,000. On May 19, 2026, the state's Division of Coastal Management formally took over management.
So this is the first fall run since the driving notice took effect. The preserve is not part of the NC Coastal Reserve system, and the Land Trust has said a management plan from the Division of Coastal Management comes after the transfer. The details may keep changing, but the no-driving rule is in place now.
Fishing the point on foot
Fishing the inlet now means hauling the cooler, sand spike, bait bucket and rods yourself, so how you park and what you carry matter more than they used to. Here is what the town and state have posted:
- Park at the South End lot. The town lists it as Sound Access #1. Its February parking notice places the lot by Serenity Point at Shore Line Drive and Inlet Drive. The Division of Coastal Management lists parking and restrooms at the preserve entrance there. It also says the town plans to add more restrooms and an ADA-compliant ramp soon.
- Know the hours. The South End lot closes from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. every day, and overnight parking is not allowed. That rules out an all-night inlet session that starts from this lot.
- Watch the calendar on paid parking. According to the town's public accesses and parking page, paid parking applies every day from March 1 through October 31. At the South End lot it runs 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at $7 an hour or $35 a day. At oceanfront accesses #5 through #15 it runs 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at $6 an hour or $30 a day. This post goes up on October 29, and the posted enforcement window closes two days later.
- Leave the glass at home and stay on the sand. The state's posted rules for the preserve ban glass beverage and food containers, entering dunes, wetlands or posted nesting areas, littering, including pet waste, and off-leash pets. The town asks visitors to use the designated walkways.
What the inlet and sound are giving up this month
The fish haven't moved. The October 1 Fisherman's Post report quoted Nathan of East Coast Sports describing a run of slot-sized red drum in the surf and from the piers, with some over-slot fish mixed in. Spanish mackerel and bluefish were plentiful, and pier anglers were starting to see more kings. In the same report, Jim of Plan 9 Charters said Spanish mackerel and false albacore fishing had been "on a tear," with Spanish just outside the inlet in as little as 15 to 20 feet of water.
Inside, mullet are driving the bite. In his October 7 report on Topsail.Fish, Captain Mike Hoffman described red drum feeding very shallow on high tides in Topsail Sound and a speckled trout bite improving as the water cooled. A week later, Topsail.Fish's October 14 summary listed red drum, improving trout, Spanish mackerel, bluefish, kings, spot, sea mullet and nearshore false albacore as the fall lineup.
The trout trend is newer than it sounds. At the start of the month, East Coast Sports had "no real word on speckled trout yet," and Ray of Spring Tide Guide Service called the trout front quiet but expected it to change as temperatures dropped. By mid-October, the reports had shifted to an improving bite.
Much of the catch goes back
Ray of Spring Tide Guide Service said the red drum he was seeing were most commonly 22 to 28 inches and up. Under the state's limits, a red drum must measure 18 to 27 inches, and anything over 27 inches can't be kept. A good share of the best reds this fall are fish to photograph and release.
The NC Division of Marine Fisheries size and bag limits page lists these limits for the species in this month's reports:
| Species | In this month's reports | State limit as listed by DMF |
|---|---|---|
| Red drum | Slot and over-slot from surf, piers and sound | 18" to 27" total length, 1 per day |
| Flounder | Still showing up as bycatch | Season was Sept 1 to 14; now unlawful to possess |
| Speckled trout | Bite improving as water cools | 14" to 20", 1 over 26", 3 per day; check current proclamation |
| Spanish mackerel | Plentiful, bigger fish at the Jolly Roger | 12" fork length, 15 per day |
| King mackerel | Up to 32 lb at the Jolly Roger | 24" fork length, 3 per day |
| Black drum | Night bottom fishing | 14" to 25" total length, 10 per day |
| Bluefish | Surf and piers | No minimum, 5 per day |
| Spot | Evening mixed bags | No minimum, 50 per day |
Flounder are the clearest case. The 2026 recreational season ran only from September 1 through September 14 under Proclamation FF-27-2026, with a one-fish, 15-inch limit, so the flounder turning up on live mullet right now go back. Adam of Carolina Flats Fishing put it simply, saying flounder will keep showing up as bycatch while anglers target red drum.
Trout carry a history from this year. In February, DMF closed spotted seatrout harvest in all coastal and joint waters after confirming major cold-stun events in 10 waterbodies from Hyde County to Pender County. The division said the season would stay closed through June 30 and reopen by proclamation. That makes this the first fall trout run since the cold-stun closure. DMF's current limits page lists the regular trout limits, but the division also says anglers are responsible for keeping up with current proclamations. Check the DMF proclamations page before keeping one.
This is general information, not legal advice. Fishing rules change by proclamation, so confirm current limits with NC Division of Marine Fisheries before you keep a fish.
The pier takes more of the load
With the point walk-in only, the Jolly Roger Pier at 803 Ocean Blvd. is the easiest spot in town to reach deep water with a full load of gear. According to the Jolly Roger, the pier runs 850 feet into the Atlantic and is fully lit at night. That matters this month because the operator's own report says night bottom fishing is producing the reds, pompano and black drum. The pier's tackle shop stocks bait and tackle and rents rods, and the Jolly Roger Grill sits on site.
The 2026 ticket prices posted by the Jolly Roger:
- Daily fishing: $16, up to two rods
- Daily King ticket: $27, up to three rods
- Spectator: $2 a day or $45 for the season
- Season fishing: $300, or $400 for a King season pass
- Children 13 and younger fish at half price
The license question is simple on the pier. DMF requires a Coastal Recreational Fishing License for anyone 16 or older fishing coastal waters. On a public pier that has bought a blanket license, the pier's license covers its anglers. The Jolly Roger says it carries a blanket license for customers fishing the pier, and Surf City Ocean Pier says the same. Walk out to the inlet and that coverage stays behind on the pier, so anglers 16 and older need their own license.
For late-season hours, call the Jolly Roger tackle shop before you head out. If you want to fish the length of the island, Surf City Ocean Pier lists itself as open 24 hours, seven days a week. Seaview Fishing Pier, at 124 Fishing Pier Ln. in North Topsail Beach, says it is open 24/7.
If you own a place on the south end and the September notice changed how you, your guests or your renters use the point, Matthew Berglund can talk through what it means for the property, including how you describe beach and inlet access to the next guest. Schedule a local market & project consultation.
