Blue marlin fishing out of Swansboro is an offshore game, and the organized effort is run and weighed out of Morehead City, not off the Swansboro docks. This guide covers when the season opens, where boats run, the named structure off Bogue Inlet, and how the fish are targeted.
When blue marlin are around Swansboro
Swansboro reaches the ocean through Bogue Inlet into Onslow Bay. Plan your trip around that inlet using our Swansboro port page.
The season here opens Memorial Day weekend, the date local teams plan around, and the organized marlin effort follows the same timing.
For biology, migration and open-water behavior, read our blue marlin species guide. This page stays with the port.
Where boats run for marlin
Blue marlin are offshore fish, so the trip is an offshore run, and the organized effort stages out of Morehead City rather than Swansboro.
Staging through Morehead City
The organized marlin effort runs through Morehead City, at Big Rock Landing. Nothing is staged from the Swansboro docks.
Before any run, read wind speed, wave height and wave period from the NWS marine forecast, and make the call on those numbers.
For the wider picture, see blue marlin across the Atlantic Southeast (see also the Atlantic Southeast fishing guide).
The Swansboro Rotary tournament
The Swansboro Rotary tournament carries the Swansboro name, but it is run and weighed out of Morehead City at Big Rock Landing. Teams stage around that dock.
Entry details are on the tournament’s official site.
Grounds and structure off Bogue Inlet
These are the named reefs and marks near the port. They lie inshore of marlin water, and we make no claim about what species any of them hold.
| Name | Type | Location note |
|---|---|---|
| Onslow Bay Sport Fishing Club Reef (AR-342) | Artificial reef | |
| J. Paul Tyndall Reef (AR-340) | Artificial reef | |
| Swansboro Rotary Club Reef (AR-345) | Artificial reef | |
| Howard Chapin Reef (AR-330) | Artificial reef | |
| 14 Buoy | Mark | |
| Station Rock | Rock | 34 35.27 N, 77 04.11 W. About 2-3 miles from Bogue Inlet. |
| Keypost Rocks (KP1 and KP2) | Rock | Directly out from the end of Bogue Inlet Fishing Pier. |
| East Rock (Bogue) | Rock | 34 35.33 N, 76 56.75 W |
Artificial reefs
The four AR-numbered reefs are listed by their state designations so you can match them to the names on your plotter.
Rocks and marks
Station Rock and East Rock have coordinates you can save as waypoints. Keypost Rocks are located by their position off the end of the pier.
Chart layers and these coordinates are not for navigation. Check them against official NOAA charts.
How marlin are fished here and who fishes them
Local marlin fishing relies on one method and three groups of anglers.
Billfish trolling
Billfish trolling is the local method. For more on the technique, see our billfish trolling pages.
Who fishes for them
Three groups fish for marlin from this port:
- Tournament teams fishing the Rotary event.
- Owner-operators running their own boats.
- Instigator, whose fishing page lists marlin among its offshore trips.
FAQ about blue marlin fishing out of Swansboro
Can I fish blue marlin straight from the Swansboro docks?
No. The organized marlin effort is staged and weighed out of Morehead City at Big Rock Landing, so plan your logistics around that dock.
When does the marlin season start out of Swansboro?
Memorial Day weekend. That is when the season opens here, and it lines up with the organized effort run out of Morehead City.
Where is the Swansboro Rotary tournament weighed?
At Big Rock Landing in Morehead City. The tournament carries the Swansboro name but is run from that dock, so teams stage there.
Do the reefs off Bogue Inlet hold marlin?
They are named nearshore structure. Marlin water lies offshore of these reefs and rocks, and we make no claim about what they hold. The species guide covers where blue marlin live.
Where do I find the rules?
Federal highly migratory species rules come from NOAA Fisheries, and state rules come from the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries. Both are linked in the Regulations section above. Check them before you fish.
