Cobia season out of Morehead City
Cobia fishing out of Morehead City runs April through June, on nearshore structure and reefs off Beaufort Inlet. The FishingBooker Morehead City guide notes a cobia season opener in May, and the Atlantic Southeast cobia guide (see also the Atlantic Southeast region guide) covers the coastwide run. Every distance on this page is measured from Beaufort Inlet at the Fort Macon jetty, the starting point in the Morehead City port guide. Biology and general behavior are in our cobia species guide.
The window by month:
- April: the run starts on nearshore structure and reefs.
- May: the FishingBooker guide notes the cobia season opener.
- June: the window closes at the end of the month.
Where boats run from Beaufort Inlet
Boats run to nearshore structure and reefs. The closest named ground is AR-315, 3.5 nm from Beaufort Inlet at the Fort Macon jetty, in 49 ft. The Brilliant guide lists Chicken Rock off Cape Lookout as a cobia and king spot. For scale, Big Rock lies about 39 nm southeast of Beaufort Inlet, an offshore run covered in our offshore gamefish guides.
| Run | Distance from Beaufort Inlet |
|---|---|
| AR-315 Atlantic Beach Reef | 3.5 nm |
| Big Rock (offshore, for scale) | About 39 nm southeast |
Grounds and structure off Morehead City
The AR numbers come from the NC artificial reef program, and the NC artificial reef guide is the reference for the reef IDs you will waypoint. A list of structure is only a shortlist and cannot show where fish sit on a given day.
| Site | Structure | Depth (ft) | Distance/position |
|---|---|---|---|
| AR-315 Atlantic Beach Reef | Theodore Parker Liberty ship, rubble, aircraft | 49 | 3.5 nm from Beaufort Inlet at the Fort Macon jetty |
| U-352 | German submarine wreck | 90 | |
| AR-305 Carteret County Sportfishing Association Reef | Aeolus, 439-ft former cable ship | 98 | |
| AR-330 Howard Chapin Reef | Buoy at 34.5563 N, 76.8527 W, off Bogue Inlet | ||
| AR-320 Clifton Moss Reef | |||
| Swansboro Hole | |||
| West Rock | |||
| Chicken Rock | Off Cape Lookout |
The AR sites and wrecks can be viewed on Breakpoint’s Chart Contours layer. Chart layers are not for navigation.
AR-315 Atlantic Beach Reef
The Theodore Parker Liberty ship, rubble and aircraft sit in 49 ft, 3.5 nm from Beaufort Inlet at the Fort Macon jetty.
U-352
The German submarine wreck sits in 90 ft.
AR-305 Aeolus
The Carteret County Sportfishing Association Reef holds the Aeolus, a 439-ft former cable ship, in 98 ft.
AR-330 Howard Chapin
The buoy is at 34.5563 N, 76.8527 W, off Bogue Inlet.
AR-320 Clifton Moss
AR-320 is a numbered reef in the same NC program.
Swansboro Hole and West Rock
Swansboro Hole and West Rock are both local grounds.
Chicken Rock
Chicken Rock lies off Cape Lookout. The Brilliant guide lists it as a cobia and king spot, with king mackerel as the co-target.
How cobia are fished from this port
The local game is nearshore and runs at half-day scale. Pelagic lists cobia on its nearshore half-day trips, and one other local operation lists cobia as well.
Pelagic Sportfishing
Pelagic Sportfishing is based at Atlantic Beach and runs the 61-foot Pelagic. The owner-operator is Capt. Mike Webb. The boat lists cobia on its nearshore half-day trips.
Breakwater Charters
Breakwater Charters, listed on Guidesly, runs a 50-foot Buddy Davis custom Carolina sportfish. The captain is Captain Ashley Forrest.
FAQ: Cobia fishing out of Morehead City
When are cobia around Morehead City?
April through June. The FishingBooker guide notes a May opener.
How far is AR-315 from Beaufort Inlet?
It is 3.5 nm from the Fort Macon jetty, in 49 ft, on the Theodore Parker Liberty ship.
How deep is the Aeolus?
The Aeolus is a 439-ft former cable ship in 98 ft on AR-305.
Where is Chicken Rock?
It is off Cape Lookout. The Brilliant guide lists it as a cobia and king spot.
Which charters list cobia?
Pelagic Sportfishing (Capt. Mike Webb, 61-foot Pelagic, Atlantic Beach) lists cobia on its nearshore half-days. Breakwater Charters (Captain Ashley Forrest, 50-foot Buddy Davis) is also listed.
Where are the rules?
The NC Division of Marine Fisheries regulations carry them. Check before fishing.
