Fishing near Cedar Island, NC

Cedar Island sits at the far eastern edge of Carteret County, a narrow, marshy strip of land bordered by Pamlico Sound and separated from the mainland by West Thorofare Bay and Thorofare Creek. The Cedar Island National Wildlife Refuge covers the bulk of the island — roughly 11,000 acres of marshland — and that same marsh-and-sound habitat is what draws anglers. The area is known for exceptional coastal fishing in and around its tidal marshes, with two public boat ramps inside the refuge providing water access.