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North Carolina & Outer Banks chlorophyll chart

Satellite data from

North Carolina from Oregon Inlet down the Outer Banks past Cape Hatteras and Cape Lookout to Morehead City, Wrightsville Beach and Cape Fear, with the Gulf Stream running offshore along the whole coast.

Satellite chlorophyll chart for North Carolina, October 17, 2026, with contour lines
Chlorophyll for North Carolina, October 17, 2026. Covers 33.4°N to 36.0°N and 78.2°W to 74.2°W. Source: NOAA VIIRS CHL (actual observations).

Today’s read

Buoy and shore station water temperature
StationWaterObserved
Diamond Shoals, NC (41025)73.8°F
Onslow Bay Outer, NC (41159)77.0°F
Cape Hatteras East, NC (41120)70.7°F
Oregon Inlet, NC (44095)69.8°F
Masonboro Inlet, ILM2, NC (41110)73.9°F

On this chart: Cape Hatteras, Oregon Inlet, Morehead City, Cape Lookout, Wrightsville Beach, Cape Fear, Ocracoke, Diamond Shoals, Frying Pan Shoals and the Gulf Stream.

How to read today’s North Carolina chart

Work the colour line. Green water is productive and blue water is clean; bait stacks on the seam between them, and gamefish hunt that seam. The contours above trace the productivity edges so the line is something you can put a waypoint on.

The highest-percentage water offshore is where a chlorophyll edge lines up with a temperature break. Check this against the North Carolina SST chart and start where they overlap.

Pair it with temperature

Chlorophyll shows you the food. Temperature shows you whether the conditions suit the fish you are after. See today’s North Carolina SST chart →

Frequently asked

How often does the North Carolina chlorophyll chart update?

The image is regenerated twice a day from the latest satellite chlorophyll data in the Catalysst app, rendered on a log scale and clipped to the coastline. The date shown is the date of the satellite data, which moves forward about once a day.

What area does the North Carolina chlorophyll chart cover?

From 33.4°N to 36.0°N and 78.2°W to 74.2°W. Ports and landmarks on it include Cape Hatteras, Oregon Inlet, Morehead City, Cape Lookout, Wrightsville Beach, Cape Fear, Ocracoke, Diamond Shoals, Frying Pan Shoals and the Gulf Stream.

Do you fish the green water or the blue water?

Neither — you fish the edge between them. Bait gets pushed against the clean-water line and predators hunt that seam. The highest-percentage water is where a chlorophyll edge stacks on top of a temperature break.

Why does chlorophyll matter if I already have SST?

Temperature tells you where conditions suit the predator; chlorophyll tells you where the food is. A break with no bait on it is just a line in the water.

This chart, live and zoomable

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How Catalysst compares →

Chlorophyll charts by region