Today — sit it out — wave, wind and surge pounding. 🌫 Murky all week after the storm — the water isn't settling
Sources & confidence
Compiled by the spearo sea-state engine · How it works →
The verdict comes from seven water factors and hard safety gates — not ten tabs. Go or stay.
Our own model
Our own forecast engine — not a third-party widget. It weighs these water factors into one go-or-stay verdict for this coast; the 0–10 dial is that verdict, read out as a number.
Safety gates
It all folds into a single 0–10 score and one verdict: go or stay.
A forecast, not a guarantee — the sea has the last word.
Where to get in, where to hunt
Leave your email — and the moment a window opens at Beaufort, we'll send the go / no-go verdict. Email is all we need.
What's missing? Tell us what you'd like to see — new spots, species, data or features. We read everything.
Wind, wave and the swell windows — when to go and the best hours.
The day is picked above, in the hero. Here are that day's windows, the hour-by-hour map and the trends. Tap a window to break down the conditions.
Visibility and what drives it — post-storm clearing, river plume, temperature and the thermocline.
spearo.app folds wind, wave, swell period, visibility, tides, water temperature and risk into a single verdict — go to the spot or not. It computes 7 days ahead from open marine models (Open-Meteo, IPMA), with no sign-up and no accounts. Built for solo spearfishing off the rocks, where any mistake costs dearly.
Now live: 3016 spots across 406 stretches of coast — mainland Portugal, Madeira and the Azores.
See all spotsRelief and bottom type, tides, and the depths of each spot.
The models set the window. Whether you go in is read only at the water: count the sets, watch the surge on the entry. If in doubt, you don't get in.
Scouted entries, coloured by today. The colour is the sea state at the spot, not a guarantee: the wash and a slippery entry you judge on site.
Open the seafloor mapCoquina rock jetty on Beaufort Inlet inside Fort Macon State Park, 2–6 m, and a genuine baitfish funnel. Sheepshead, flounder and black sea bass; the inlet current is severe. The pin marks the shore access point; the water entry has not been verified.
Google MapsNearshore reef 3.6 nautical miles south-west of Fort Macon Jetty in roughly 15 m. A designated ocean reef where the spear is legal; you may not hold fish over the limit inside the reef boundary.
Cameras, map and reference — to hand as you come up.
Check the cam BEFORE you leave. Foam, brown/green murk, or waves washing the entry rocks = No-go. At night/in fog the cam is useless — treat it as «unknown», NOT «green».
All 367 spots → · Region: North Carolina · spearo.app — All countries
The full spot briefing is part of the subscription: entry, bottom, hazards, tide window.
Open in the appThe full spot briefing is part of the subscription: entry, bottom, hazards, tide window.
Open in the appIconic WWII U-boat about 52 km south-south-west of Beaufort Inlet in roughly 35 m, shared with Morehead City. Amberjack, gag grouper and black sea bass on the iron.
Google MapsSOLO is the biggest risk: underwater you can black out from lack of oxygen silently and fatally, with no one around. Solo is never truly «safe». Below are the best weather windows; carry a buoy, tell someone your plan and exit time, and any doubt — don't go.
US spearfishing law is state-by-state. License, spearable species, powerhead rules and distances vary; federal sanctuaries (Gray's Reef, the Keys, Flower Garden Banks) ban spearfishing. Always confirm with the state agency and local ordinances.
Spearfishing Beaufort is an inlet-and-wreck decision, not one simple beach entry. Fort Macon Jetty is the close structure, a coquina rock funnel at Beaufort Inlet where bait can stack sheepshead, flounder and black sea bass. AR-315 sits nearshore but carries a legal caution, so it needs a North Carolina DMF check before any hunting. U-352 is the big offshore choice, about 28 nm south-southwest of Beaufort Inlet, with amberjack, grouper and black sea bass when weather and rules line up. The CRFL applies, and no-spear species stay no-spear.
The three choices are very different. One is an inlet jetty, one is a nearshore artificial reef with a legal warning, and one is an offshore wreck that needs a real boat-weather window.
| Spot | Type | Depth | Level | Access | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Macon Jetty (The Rocks) | Coquina rock jetty on Beaufort Inlet | Shallow inlet structure; exact depth not stated | Intermediate because of inlet current and traffic | Fort Macon State Park side, conditions permitting | The best close-in structure. Work it only when current, boat traffic and visibility are manageable, and focus on sheepshead, flounder and black sea bass. |
| AR-315 Atlantic Beach Reef | Nearshore artificial reef | Nearshore reef; exact depth not stated | Intermediate boat dive | Boat, about 3.6 nm southwest of Fort Macon Jetty | Some state-water artificial reefs may be no-spear. Verify AR-315 with NC DMF before hunting. |
| U-352 German U-boat wreck | Offshore WWII wreck | Verify exact offshore wreck depth before diving | Advanced boat and weather window | Boat, about 28 nm south-southwest of Beaufort Inlet | A blue-water wreck plan shared with Morehead City and Atlantic Beach. Amberjack, grouper and black sea bass are possible, but seasons and offshore safety control the dive. |
Fort Macon is closest but also most affected by inlet current, traffic and shifting water color. U-352 needs a settled offshore forecast, not just a decent beach morning. Beaufort is exposed, with a southerly bad sector and no river-plume shortcut. Use the Duke Marine Lab waterfront view for local surface clues and NDBC 41025 for offshore swell context.
The near-town list starts with sheepshead, flounder and black sea bass. Offshore, U-352 can add amberjack and grouper, but grouper seasons are state-set and must be checked before the trip. Do not spear striped bass, red drum, tarpon or sharks in North Carolina. If a fish is not clearly legal, pass it.
Start with the Coastal Recreational Fishing License, then confirm current proclamations and size or season rules with NC DMF. The AR-315 warning is the special Beaufort issue: nearshore artificial reefs can carry no-spear restrictions, so do not rely on old dive reports. Treat any uncertain reef, wreck closure or species rule as closed until verified.
It is the closest structure, but not a casual shore dive. Inlet current, boats and visibility make it an intermediate plan.
Only after checking with NC DMF. Some state-water artificial reefs may be no-spear.
U-352 sits about 28 nm south-southwest of Beaufort Inlet, so it is an offshore boat dive.
Do not spear striped bass, red drum, tarpon or sharks. Grouper also needs a current season check.
Use the Duke Marine Lab view for local water and weather clues, then compare with NOAA buoy 41025 before committing offshore.
buoy Onslow Bay Outer, NC (217): 22.9° · wave 2.6 m/8 s · 42 min ago
