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Roanoke River Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

The Weldon rockfish run: the Roanoke stacks spawning striped bass in numbers few rivers can match.

2/5
Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.
Water temp
~84 F est.
Air / High
100 / 100 F
Wind
WSW 6 mph

Sources: Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

2/5Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Roanoke River serves up more heat: the productive hours are the dim ones. Today brings a mixed sky, wind WSW around 6 mph, rising pressure near 1012 hPa and a high of 100. Water sits around 84 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: plan around them and beat the heat.

The plan, species by species

Striped bassGood

Deep and early: live bait on downlines over the river channel at first light, or downriggers along thermocline depth.

Catfish (blue, channel)Good

Anchor on 20-30 ft baited holes with punch bait or cut shad. They keep biting through the heat when everything else quits.

Largemouth bassFair

Topwater at first light on points and seawalls, then slide out to 12-25 ft brush and points with a Carolina rig, deep crank or drop shot. The bite is dawn, dusk or deep.

CrappieSlow

Straight down on bridge pilings and deep brush at 15-25 ft. Minnows outfish jigs in hot water; move until the graph shows them stacked.

Tomorrow: Cooler at 95 F with a rain chance. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings.

No live gauge on this water

Conditions here are modeled from weather, season and the nearest stations. Water readings appear when a USGS gauge is available.

5060708090JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~84 F now

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp100 F
High / Low100 / 73 F
WindWSW 6-12 mph
Pressure1011.6 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain49% cloud, 26%
Sunrise / Sunset06:44 / 19:34
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~84 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunset

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Storms, 100/73 F, wind 8 mph, rain 26%

Slow. 100 F: be on the water at dawn and off by mid-morning, or fish after dark.

Species guide

The species that matter on Roanoke River: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Largemouth bass illustration

Largemouth bass

Best: spring and fall

The headline act on most American reservoirs. Relates to cover: docks, brush, grass edges and points. Topwater at first light on points and seawalls, then slide out to 12-25 ft brush and points with a Carolina rig, deep crank or drop shot. The bite is dawn, dusk or deep.

Striped bass illustration

Striped bass

Best: spring and fall

The reservoir heavyweight. Follows shad and herring schools in open water year-round. Deep and early: live bait on downlines over the river channel at first light, or downriggers along thermocline depth.

Catfish (blue, channel) illustration

Catfish (blue, channel)

Good year-round

The most reliable bite on most southern waters. Blues run big; channels fill the cooler. Anchor on 20-30 ft baited holes with punch bait or cut shad. They keep biting through the heat when everything else quits.

Crappie illustration

Crappie

Best: Nov-Mar

Brush piles, bridge pilings and standing timber. The fish fry favorite. Straight down on bridge pilings and deep brush at 15-25 ft. Minnows outfish jigs in hot water; move until the graph shows them stacked.

When to come: the Roanoke River calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Largemouth bass
Striped bass
Catfish (blue, channel)
Crappie
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 84 F (estimated, not a reading).

5060708090JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~84 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Roanoke River today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

2/5 Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing. Striped bass led the card at good. High of 98 F, wind to 7 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Striped bass led the card at excellent. High of 96 F, wind to 8 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

3/5 Fair. Fish early or late. Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows. Striped bass led the card at good. High of 95 F, wind to 5 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
Only used to send you this water's report each week. No spam, ever.

Before you go

License

North Carolina requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

North Carolina license. Striped bass seasons, slot limits and closures on the Roanoke change annually and are strictly enforced: check current NCWRC rules before fishing.

Access

Ramps at Weldon and along the river; guides book out early for the spring run.

About this water

A river through northeastern North Carolina to Albemarle Sound, Halifax County: site of a major striped bass spawning run.

Fishing Roanoke River: the full guide

A river famous for one month

The Roanoke River flows through northeastern North Carolina to Albemarle Sound, and each spring the reach around Weldon hosts one of the largest striped bass spawning runs on the Atlantic coast. Locals call them rockfish, and from April into May the river fills with fish and the boats that follow them. Outside that window it holds catfish, largemouth and shad.

The spring run

Striped bass move up from Albemarle Sound to spawn in the rocky reach below Weldon, with the peak typically in late April and early May. Anglers work the current seams and rock with soft plastics, bucktails and topwater, and the fishing can be extraordinary. The season is tightly managed with slot limits and closures that change annually: check current rules.

Shad and catfish

American and hickory shad run the river in March, ahead of the stripers: light-tackle fishing on darts and small spoons that many locals prefer for its simplicity. Blue and flathead catfish grow very large in the lower river, and largemouth hold the backwaters and cypress edges through the warm months.

Halifax County logistics

Ramps at Weldon and along the river serve anglers, with the town gearing up for the spring run and guides booking out early. Flows are controlled by upstream dams at Roanoke Rapids and Kerr: releases affect the fishing directly, and the schedule is worth checking. Outside spring the river is quiet and lightly fished.

Common questions

When is the rockfish run?

April into May, peaking late April: one of the Atlantic coast’s largest striped bass spawning runs.

Are the rules strict?

Yes: slot limits, seasons and closures change annually and are enforced. Check current regulations before fishing.

What about the rest of the year?

Shad in March, catfish and largemouth through the warm months, with the river quiet and lightly fished.

Is fishing good at Roanoke River right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Nearby waters

Lake Gaston16 miTar River36 miKerr Lake (Buggs Island)41 miFalls Lake57 miChickahominy Lake75 miJames River79 mi
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