Fishing report

Saltwater

Oregon Inlet

With Hurricane Earl bearing down, boats docked at the marina were pulled out of the water. On Monday, offshore boats caught dolphin and white marlin. Inshore boats caught bluefish and Spanish mackerel. An all-day inshore trip had amberjack, dolphin and barracuda. Open boats had amberjack, cobia, sharks, bluefish and false albacore. Contact: Oregon Inlet Fishing Center 252-441-6301, www. oregon-inlet.com .

Buxton/Hatteras

Visitors were ordered to evacuate Hatteras Island on Wednesday. On Tuesday, big swells had arrived, making fishing difficult. On Tuesday, bluefish, spots and a few Spanish mackerel were reported at Avon Pier and sea mullet and bluefish at Frisco Beach. Contact: Frank & Fran's 252-995-4171, www.hat teras-island.com .

Ocracoke

Visitors were ordered to leave by early Wednesday. The water already had been stirred up on Monday. That didn't stop puppy drum from taking cut bait, as did bluefish and sea mullet, before the evacuation was ordered a day later. Contact: Tradewinds Bait & Tackle 252-928-5491, www.fishtradewinds.com.

Cape Lookout/

Bogue Inlet

As of Wednesday afternoon, the water was calm, though that wasn't expected to last. Call ahead if you go. The first mullet blow arrived Saturday in the surf and drum, bluefish, flounder, Spanish, trout and sharks were on their tails. Pompano were reported at the Atlantic Beach surf. Spanish were thick from the inlet to Bogue Pier. The piers offered a mixed bag of Spanish, blues, spots, flounder, finger mullet, peanut bunker, sea mullet, black drum, pompano and sheepshead. At the Bogue Inlet sea buoy, there were limits of small king mackerel. Red drum are in the surf and the marshes. Speckled trout have been in the White Oak and New rivers. Offshore, there was a great wahoo bite. Contact: EJW Outdoors 252-247-4725; www.ncoif.com.

Topsail Island

Though the hurricane watch encompassed Topsail, the seas were calm Wednesday. Call ahead if you go. Over the weekend, a 133-pound tarpon was caught on the Surf City Pier. At Jolly Roger, red drum over the slot size were reported. Spanish mackerel, bluefish, spots and mullet were caught on all three piers. In the surf, pompano had been thick. There were a few red drum. Shark fishing had been best for those using their kayaks to take their baits out farther. In the sound, amberjack were taking top-water baits and sharks were around the inlet. There has been a red drum top-water bite in the morning. Offshore, bottom fishing was productive for grouper and black sea bass. A few wahoo had been caught in the Gulf Stream. Contact: East Coast Discount Tackle 910-328-1887, www.eastcoastsports.com.

Wilmington/

Wrightsville Beach

On Wednesday afternoon, the area was outside Hurricane Earl's path. Flounder and red drum were caught in the creeks, in the surf and on the nearshore reefs. Spanish mackerel and pompano are biting on the beach. Nearshore, king mackerel, dolphin and sailfish have been slow. Amberjack, grouper and sea bass continue to bite, though African pompano have slowed. A few wahoo bit in the Gulf Stream. Contact: Tex's Tackle 910-791-1763, www.texstackle.com.

Southport/Sunset Beach

In the surf, red drum and sea mullet had been biting. Flounder and speckled trout have been reported in the creeks. Out front, Spanish mackerel have continued to bite. King mackerel and dolphin were caught at Frying Pan Tower on Saturday. Contact: Dutchman Creek Bait & Tackle 910-457-1221; www.yeahrightcharters.com.

Freshwater

Falls Lake

Largemouth bass have been reported on plastics around wood in 14 feet of water. Some have taken shaky-head jigs in deeper water. Water level: normal 251.5, Wednesday 250.10, full pool 264.8. Contact: Outhouse Tackle 919-217-0085; www. wmi.org .

Kerr Lake

Most largemouth bass have been caught on top-water baits. A few striped bass have taken live bait around the Nutbush area. Crappie are still in the brush piles from 15 to 25 feet deep. A mixed bag of catfish, with flatheads biting best, mostly in the lake but a few in the rivers. Water level: normal 300, Wednesday 298.15, full pool 320. Contact: Bobcat's Bait & Tackle 434-374-8381, www.kerrlake.com.

Jordan Lake

Crappie have been reported in deep water around brush piles and bridge pilings. Water level: normal 216, Wednesday 216.07, full pool 240. Contact: Wilsonville General Store 919-362-7101.

Shearon Harris Lake

Largemouth bass have been mostly slow and have been caught in a mix of depths, but the best bite has been on flutter spoons worked on deep water structure, if you can find it. The crappie bite has been slow. Contact: The Tackle Box 919-557-8255; www.wmi.org.