Outer Banks fishing charters leave from four places: Oregon Inlet at the south end of Nags Head, the Manteo causeway, Wanchese on Roanoke Island, and Hatteras Village at the far end of Hatteras Island. Each has a marina that books its own fleet, so you call one number, say what you want to catch and how long you want to be out, and they match you to a boat. If you are staying between Corolla and Nags Head, the Manteo causeway and Oregon Inlet are both a short drive past Whalebone Junction. If you are staying on Hatteras Island, the Hatteras Village marinas are at your end of the island.
Every operator below was checked on its own website on October 1, 2026. Fleets, schedules and what each marina books change — confirm when you call.
Nobody pays to be listed here and there are no affiliate links on this page. We are a surf fishing site, so we will also tell you when you do not need a boat at all.
Where Outer Banks charter boats leave from
| Departure point | Who books the boats | What leaves from there | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon Inlet (Nags Head) | Oregon Inlet Fishing Center | Offshore, half-day inshore, make-up charters; head boat Miss Oregon Inlet II | (800) 272-5199 |
| Manteo causeway | Pirate’s Cove Marina | Offshore, nearshore and inlet, make-up charters; head boat Crystal Dawn | (252) 473-3906 |
| Wanchese | Wanchese Marina Broad Creek Fishing Center | Offshore, inshore, half-day family trips | (252) 423-3157 (252) 473-9991 |
| Hatteras Village | Hatteras Harbor Marina Oden’s Dock Hatteras Landing Marina Teach’s Lair Marina | Offshore, nearshore, inshore, make-up charters; head boat Miss Hatteras at Oden’s Dock | (252) 986-2166 (252) 986-2555 (252) 986-2077 (252) 986-2460 |
Oregon Inlet — the fleet at the inlet
Oregon Inlet Fishing Center sits at 8770 Oregon Inlet Road in Nags Head, at the north end of the Basnight Bridge, eight miles south of Whalebone Junction on North Carolina Highway 12. The docks are right at the inlet, so the boats are in the ocean minutes after leaving the slip.
The center books full-day offshore trips, half-day inshore trips, and make-up charters, where individuals and small groups are put together on one boat to split the cost of a full day. Its head boat, the Miss Oregon Inlet II, sells seats per person, which is the cheapest way to get a family on the water. Call (800) 272-5199.
If you would rather fish the inlet from the sand, the beach on either side of it is some of the most productive surf on the northern Outer Banks — see our Oregon Inlet surf fishing guide.
Manteo causeway — Pirate’s Cove and the Crystal Dawn
Pirate’s Cove Marina is at 2000 Sailfish Drive on the Nags Head–Manteo causeway, a few minutes west of Whalebone Junction. The marina books a charter fleet of 21 sport fishing boats for offshore, nearshore and inlet fishing, and it runs make-up charters when it has individuals to pair up. Call (252) 473-3906.
The Crystal Dawn is the head boat at Pirate’s Cove: a 65-foot boat licensed for 50 anglers that runs morning half-day fishing trips in the inlet and the sound, plus dolphin and sunset cruises. Its season runs May through October, and it refunds trips the captain cancels for weather. Call (252) 473-5577. If you have kids who have never caught a fish, this is the boat most locals will point you to.
Wanchese — the working harbor on Roanoke Island
Wanchese is the commercial fishing village at the south end of Roanoke Island. Wanchese Marina, at 4457 Mill Landing Road, books full-day offshore trips for tuna, mahi and marlin, inshore trips for red drum, speckled trout and flounder, and half-day family trips and sunset cruises. Its booking desk is (252) 423-3157.
Broad Creek Fishing Center, at 708 Harbor Road, is a full-service fishing marina with a ship’s store and a fish cleaning station, and several Wanchese charter boats dock there. Call (252) 473-9991 and ask which boats are running.
Hatteras Village — four marinas, and the longest drive
Hatteras Village is at the bottom of Hatteras Island, next to the Ocracoke ferry docks, and it has four marinas booking charters, more than anywhere else on the Outer Banks. The Gulf Stream runs closer to shore off Hatteras than off the northern beaches, which is why the offshore fleet is based here. From Kill Devil Hills it is roughly an hour and a half to two hours down North Carolina Highway 12.
Hatteras Harbor Marina books a 22-boat fleet for offshore, nearshore and inshore trips and arranges make-up charters. Call (252) 986-2166.
Oden’s Dock, at 57878 North Carolina Highway 12, books half-day inshore and nearshore charters and full-day offshore charters, and it is the dock for the head boat Miss Hatteras. The marina also has a ship’s store with bait, tackle and ice, fuel, and a fish cleaning service. Call (252) 986-2555 for charters.
The Miss Hatteras runs half-day offshore trips about six miles out for triggerfish and black sea bass, and half-day inshore trips on Pamlico Sound for bluefish, flounder and gray trout. Rods, bait and the fishing license are all covered, you just show up half an hour before the boat leaves. It runs year-round with a schedule that shifts by season. Call (252) 986-2365.
Hatteras Landing Marina (58848 Marina Way, (252) 986-2077) and Teach’s Lair Marina (58646 North Carolina Highway 12, (252) 986-2460) are run by the same operator, both near the ferry docks. Both book full-day and half-day trips, inshore and offshore.
Before you drive down: North Carolina Highway 12 across Pea Island closes when the ocean washes over it, and a closure can strand you on the wrong side of your boat. Check DriveNC.gov the night before a Hatteras charter.
Which kind of trip to book
Offshore trips run to the Gulf Stream for tuna, mahi, wahoo and billfish. They are full days that leave early, and they are the expensive end of charter fishing. Nearshore trips stay within sight of the beach for Spanish mackerel, bluefish, cobia and bottom fish, usually as a half day. Inshore and sound trips fish the inlets and Pamlico or Roanoke Sound for red drum, speckled trout, flounder and bluefish on calm water, which makes them the right call for kids and anyone who gets seasick.
Head boats sell seats per person instead of the whole boat, so one angler or a family of five can go without chartering a six-pack (a charter boat licensed for six passengers, which is what most of the private fleet is). The Miss Oregon Inlet II, the Crystal Dawn and the Miss Hatteras are the ones above. Make-up charters are the middle ground: the marina pairs you with other anglers to fill a private boat and you split the fare. Oregon Inlet Fishing Center, Pirate’s Cove and Hatteras Harbor all arrange them, but you have to ask.
Two questions to settle before you put down a deposit: what is included (bait and tackle usually are; ask about ice, fish cleaning and whether the license is covered), and what happens when the captain calls the trip for weather. The captain makes that call, and the deposit and cancellation terms differ from marina to marina.
Do you need a fishing license on a charter?
Usually not. North Carolina for-hire boats carry one of two licenses: a blanket license covers everyone fishing aboard, while a non-blanket vessel license means each passenger 16 or older needs their own Coastal Recreational Fishing License. The Miss Hatteras, for one, says outright that you need neither gear nor a license; ask which license the boat carries when you book. The moment you step back onto the sand with a rod, the rules change: anyone 16 or older needs their own Coastal Recreational Fishing License.
Want a guide for the surf instead?
There is no charter fleet for the beach, but there is instruction. Sharky’s runs two-hour surf fishing clinics with Mark Clippinger for up to four people, with rods and bait supplied; you learn to read the water, rig bait and identify what you catch. Clinics are usually held in the Kitty Hawk area, and they will meet you anywhere from Corolla down to Buxton. The license is not included. Call (252) 255-2248, or Mark directly at (252) 455-0259.
The rest of what a guide would tell you is on this site for free: where to surf fish, how to surf fish, what bait to buy, and the weekly fishing report. If you came to the Outer Banks to fish and the boat budget is not there, read why you do not need a charter before you decide.
Common questions
Where do fishing charters leave from on the Outer Banks?
Four places: Oregon Inlet Fishing Center at the south end of Nags Head, Pirate’s Cove Marina on the Manteo causeway, Wanchese Marina and Broad Creek Fishing Center in Wanchese, and the Hatteras Village marinas (Hatteras Harbor, Oden’s Dock, Hatteras Landing and Teach’s Lair) at the south end of Hatteras Island.
Which Outer Banks charter dock is closest to Kill Devil Hills, Kitty Hawk and Duck?
Pirate’s Cove Marina, just west of Whalebone Junction on the Manteo causeway, and Oregon Inlet Fishing Center, eight miles south of the junction on North Carolina Highway 12. Both are an easy drive from the northern beaches; Oregon Inlet is the one right at the inlet.
Is there a head boat on the Outer Banks?
Yes. The Miss Oregon Inlet II runs from Oregon Inlet Fishing Center, the Crystal Dawn from Pirate’s Cove in Manteo, and the Miss Hatteras from Oden’s Dock in Hatteras Village. Head boats sell seats per person rather than the whole boat.
Do I need a fishing license on an Outer Banks charter?
Usually not. A boat with a blanket for-hire license covers everyone aboard; a boat with a non-blanket license does not, and each passenger 16 or older needs their own Coastal Recreational Fishing License. Ask which the boat carries when you book. You always need your own license to fish from the beach.
What is a make-up charter?
A private boat filled with anglers who did not come together. The marina pairs individuals and small groups so the boat goes out full and everyone splits the fare. Oregon Inlet Fishing Center, Pirate’s Cove Marina and Hatteras Harbor Marina all arrange them; ask when you call.
