North Carolina Fishing Regulations
Not legal advice. Compiled from official government summaries. Regulations change each year — always check the official source before relying.
General Rules (barbless hooks are the #1 cause of fines)
- ⚠ Inland game fish may be taken only with hook and line; snagging unlawful.
- ⚠ Possession: no more than 3 days' creel limit at any place.
- ⚠ Mandatory harvest reporting for red drum, flounder, spotted seatrout, striped bass, weakfish from inland/joint waters (deq.nc.gov/report-my-fish).
- ⚠ Roanoke River upstream of US 258 bridge: only single barbless hook (April 1 - June 30).
- ⚠ No open season for sturgeon; any sturgeon caught must be released.
- ⚠ Purchase and sale of inland game fish unlawful (except licensed commercial trout ponds).
Species Limits
| Species | Limit | Size / Season |
|---|---|---|
| Largemouth bass | 5 (only 2 under 14 in) | Min 14 in (special waters vary) |
| Smallmouth bass | 5 (only 2 under 14 in) | Min 14 in (special waters vary) |
| Alabama & spotted bass | No limit | No size limit |
| Bartram's bass | 5 (only 2 under 14 in) | Min 14 in |
| Crappie | No limit statewide; 20 combined in many waters | 8 in min in many waters; Kerr 25 @ 9 in |
| Sunfish (except crappie, rock bass, Roanoke bass) | No limit statewide; 30 combined in many rivers (max 12 redbreast) | |
| Striped bass & Bodie bass (impoundments) | 4 combined | Min 20 in (special waters vary) |
| White bass | 10 | |
| Shad (American & hickory) | 10 combined (max 1 American) | |
| Walleye | 8 | Lake Gaston/Kerr: 5 @ 18 in min; Linville River: 4 |
| Muskellunge | 1 | Min 42 in |
| Sauger | 8 | Min 15 in |
| Kokanee salmon | 4 | |
| Bullheads | 10 combined | |
| Mountain trout (Hatchery Supported waters) | 7 per day | No size limit; marked green-and-white |
| Mountain trout (Wild Trout waters) | 4 per day | Min 7 in; artificial lures, single hook only |
| Red drum | 1 | 18-27 in slot |
| Spotted seatrout | 3 (only 1 over 26 in) | Min 14 in |
| American eel | 25 | Min 9 in |
Waterbody-Specific Rules
Delayed Harvest Trout Waters
- Catch-and-release Oct 1 - early June: artificial lures, single hook, no bait possession; limited harvest after.
Lake Chatuge
- Bass: 10 combined, min 12 in; crappie 30; smallmouth no size limit.
New River (Alleghany Co.)
- 5 bass combined, none 14-22 in, only 1 over 22 in.
Lake Santeetlah
- Bass: no creel limit under 14 in; only 5 over 14 in.
Buckhorn Reservoir
- Crappie: 20/day.
Lake James
- Walleye: 15 in minimum, 8/day.
Lake Gaston
- Walleye: 18 in minimum, 5/day; crappie: no limit; striped bass 4/day (20 in min Oct-May).
John H. Kerr Reservoir
- Walleye: 18 in minimum, 5/day; crappie 9 in min, 25/day; no American shad possession.
Roanoke Rapids Reservoir
- Walleye: 18 in minimum, 5/day; striped bass 4/day (20 in min Oct-May).
Linville River (above NC 126)
- Walleye: 4/day.
Cape Fear River
- Crappie: 20 combined, 8 in minimum; sunfish 30 combined.
Lake Norman
- Crappie: 20 combined, 8 in minimum.
Shearon Harris Reservoir
- Crappie: 20 combined, 8 in minimum.
B. Everett Jordan Reservoir
- Crappie: 20 combined, 8 in minimum.
Lake Mattamuskeet
- Striped bass: 3/day, 18 in minimum; crappie 20 @ 10 in minimum.
Seasons
Most warmwater species open year-round; mountain trout waters have seasonal rules (Delayed Harvest Oct 1 - early June C&R).
Licence Fees
NC inland fishing license required (resident/non-resident); trout privilege license for trout waters; fees per NCWRC.
Edition: 2026-2027 North Carolina Inland Fishing, Hunting & Trapping Regulations (NCWRC) · Effective: 2026-27 season · Source: NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ncwildlife.org/fishing/regulations)
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