The anchorage described below by Captain Miller actually lies directly on the Topsail Inlet approach channel, which leaves the Waterway at ICW marker #86. We specifically do NOT recommend dropping the hook here, as this would put your vessel on a marked channel, which does support some local water traffic. That could lead to a very rude awakening in the middle of the night, or early the next morning.
If Captain Miller had just continued following the Topsail channel a bit farther, a reasonably good anchorage would have been encountered southwest of marker #14, northwest of the charted marsh island. This haven is linked below

Cruising News:
We anchored across from Sloop Point (4 mi south of Surf City Bridge) between markers 19 and 21 in a small tributary to the ICW. We motored a swing circle and found the shallower depths slightly greater than charted. Our circle inpinged within the 6 foot line and we dropped on a line from 19 to 21. The Bruce anchor grabbed quickly and held through the night despite a blow. There are no trees or houses here to block the wind. I didn’t sleep well.
The southerly wind pushed our stern into the channel but the markers are not lighted so I didn’t expect any large boats to pass after dark. I did hang lanterns at bow and stern so the late-night fishermen would see us (they never look up for a masthead light).
I wouldn’t anchor here again except in settled weather. I could have (should have) gone further in where the passage gets wider.
Max Miller

Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s North Carolina Anchorage Directory Listing For the Topsail Channel Anchorage

Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of the Topsail Channel Anchorage