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N.C. Recreational Coastal Waters Guide
for Sports Fishermen
Current Version Effective: Feb. 5, 2014
(Website chart reflects the most recent changes to size and bag limits)
Current Weakfish bag limit effective May 16, 2010. See FF-54-2010
Current Snapper/Grouper rules effective Jan. 23, 2014. See FF-5-2014
Current Spotted Seatrout size and bag limits effective Feb. 3,2014. See FF-9-2014
For inland fishing regulations, contact Wildlife Resources Commission 919-707-0220
or visit their website www.ncwildlife.org
Coastal Recreational Fishing License:
Persons engaged in recreational fishing in North Carolina coastal
waters are required to possess a Coastal Recreational Fishing License in
accordance with G.S. 113-174.2
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State Coastal Waters
(Internal and 0-3 Miles) |
Exclusive Economic Zone EEZ
(3-200 miles) |
Finfish Species
(note symbols) |
Minimum Length |
Bag Limits
(Per Person) |
Minimum Length |
Bag Limits
(Per Person) |
Alewife and
blueback herring |
None |
UNLAWFUL TO POSSESS |
None |
UNLAWFUL TO POSSESS |
| Amberjack, greater |
28" FL |
1/Day |
28" FL |
1/Day |
| Bass, striped |
(A) |
(A) |
UNLAWFUL TO POSSESS |
| Bluefish |
None |
15/Day
Only 5 greater than 24" TL |
None
|
15/Day |
| Cobia |
33" FL |
2/Day |
33" FL |
2/Day |
| Dolphin (B) |
None |
10/Day |
None |
10/Day |
| Drum, black |
14"-25" TL (C) |
10/Day |
14"-25" TL (C) |
10/Day |
Drum, red 
(Channel Bass,
Puppy Drum) |
18-27" TL (C) |
1/Day |
UNLAWFUL TO POSSESS |
| Eel, American |
9" TL |
25/Day |
9" TL |
25/Day |
Flounder
Gulf, Southern
|
15" TL |
6/Day |
15" TL |
6/Day |
| Grouper (H, I, J, K) |
UNLAWFUL TO POSSESS SHALLOW WATER GROUPER
JAN. 1 THROUGH APRIL 30 |
UNLAWFUL TO POSSESS SHALLOW WATER GROUPER
JAN. 1 THROUGH APRIL 30 |
Grouper;
Red, scamp, yellowfin, yellowmouth and tilefish (no size limit on tilefish) |
20" TL |
3/Day (all grouper combined; includes tilefish and no more than 1 black or gag grouper, individual or combined) (J) & (K) |
20" TL |
3/Day (all grouper combined; includes tilefish, and no more than 1 black or gag grouper, individual or combined) (J) & (K) |
Grouper
black and gag |
24" TL |
1/Day (See above) |
24" TL |
1/Day
(See above) |
| |
UNLAWFUL TO POSSESS |
UNLAWFUL TO POSSESS |
| Grouper, snowy |
None |
1/Vessel/Day |
None |
1/Vessel/Day |
Hogfish
(Hog snapper) |
12" FL |
5/Day |
12" FL |
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| Mackerel, king (I) |
24" FL |
3/Day |
24" FL |
3/Day |
| Mackerel, Spanish (I) |
12" FL |
15/Day |
12" FL |
15/Day |
| Marlin, blue(G) |
99" LJFL |
1/vessel/trip either Blue or White Marlin |
99" LJFL |
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| Marlin, white (G) |
66" LJFL |
1/vessel/trip either Blue or White Marlin |
66" LJFL |
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Mullet
(Striped and White) |
None |
200/Day
(species combined) |
None |
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Porgy, red
(Silver snapper, pinky) |
14" TL |
3/Day |
14" TL |
3/Day |
| Reef Complex Species Includes spadefish, gray triggerfish, white grunt, knobbed porgy and more (see notes H and I) |
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20/Day |
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20/Day |
| Sailfish (G) |
63" LJFL |
1/Day |
63" LJFL |
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Scup
(North of Cape Hatteras) (D) |
(D) |
(D) |
(D) |
(D) |
| Seatrout, spotted (speckled) |
UNLAWFUL TO POSSESS |
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Sea bass, black
(North of Cape Hatteras) (D) |
12 1/2" TL and 20/day
|
12 1/2" TL and 20/day |
Sea bass, black
(South of Cape Hatteras) |
13" TL |
5/Day |
13" TL
|
5/Day |
| Shad, American (O) |
None |
(O) |
UNLAWFUL TO POSSESS |
| Shad, hickory (O) |
None |
10/Day |
None |
10/Day |
Sharks(I)
(excluding spiny and smooth dogfish) |
(E, L) |
1/Vessel/Day |
(E, L) |
1/Vessel/Day |
| Sharks, Atlantic sharpnose and bonnethead (E) |
None |
(E) |
(E, L) |
1/Day |
Snappers;
Dog, gray, cubera, mahogany, queen, yellowtail, silk and blackfin |
12" TL |
10/Day
(Species combined) |
12" TL |
10/Day
(Species combined) |
| Snappers, mutton |
16" TL |
See Above |
16" TL |
See Above |
| Snappers; Lane |
8" TL |
See Above |
8" TL |
See Above |
| Snapper, red |
UNLAWFUL TO POSSESS
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UNLAWFUL TO POSSESS
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| Snapper, vermilion (J) |
12" TL |
5/Day |
12" TL |
5/Day |
| Tarpon |
None |
1/Day |
None |
1/Day |
| Tuna(I);bluefin(G), yellowfin and bigeye |
Yellowfin 27" CFL
Bigeye 27" CFL |
Bigeye and Yellowfin 3 per day |
Bigeye and Yellowfin tuna
27" CFL |
Yellowfin Tuna
3 per day |
| Wahoo |
None |
2/Day |
None |
2/Day |
Weakfish
(gray trout) |
12" TL |
1/Day
see FF-54-2010)
|
12" TL |
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| Wreckfish (P) |
None |
1/vessel/day |
None
|
1/vessel/day |
Prohibited Finfish Species
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Coastal Waters
(Internal waters and Atlantic Ocean out to 3 miles |
Federal Waters / EEZ
(Atlantic Ocean more than 3 miles) |
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Sharks;
(whale, basking, white, sand tiger, bigeye sand tiger, Atlantic angel
shark, bigeye sixgill, bigeye thresher, bignose, Caribbean reef,
Caribbean sharpnose, dusky, Galapogos, longfin mako, narrowtooth, night,
sandbar, silky, sevengill, sixgill, and smalltail), sturgeon, Nassau
grouper, Goliath grouper (jewfish), Warsaw grouper, speckled hind and
red snapper.
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Sharks;
(whale, basking, white, sand tiger, bigeye sand tiger, Atlantic angel
shark, bigeye sixgill, bigeye thresher, bignose, Caribbean reef,
Caribbean sharpnose, dusky, Galapogos, longfin mako, narrowtooth, night,
sandbar, silky, sevengill, sixgill, and smalltail), red drum, striped
bass, sturgeon, Nassau grouper, Goliath grouper (jewfish), red snapper,
speckled hind, Warsaw grouper and longbill spearfish.
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Shellfish and Crustaceans
State Coastal and EEZ Waters Internal and 0-200 miles. No recreational license needed. |
Species
(note symbols) |
Minimum Size |
Bag Limits
(Per Person) No shellfish license required for these quantities and less |
| Bay Scallops (N) |
None |
1/2 bushel/day, not to exceed one bushel per vessel |
Blue Crab (M)
|
5" Carapace Width (Minimum)
6 3/4" Carapace Width (Maximum) (F) |
50 crabs/day not to exceed 100 crabs/vessel/day |
| Conchs and Whelks |
None |
10/day not to exceed 20/vessel/day |
| Hard Clam |
1" Thick |
100 clams/day not to exceed 200 clams/vessel/day |
| Mussels |
None |
100/day not to exceed 200/vessel/day |
| Oyster (N) |
3" Shell Length |
1 bushel/day not to exceed 2 bushels/vessel/day |
Shrimp
(Closed shrimping area) |
None |
Two (2) quarts of shrimp/day (Cast net only) |
Shrimp
(Open shrimping area) |
None |
48 qts. heads on, 30 qts. heads off
(Per person or vessel except RCGL max. 2 limits/vessel) |
| Explanation of Symbols |
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(A)
Albemarle Sound Management Area: contact DMF for seasons, areas or
other limits; Atlantic Ocean year-round: 2 per person per day at 28” TL
minimum; Other coastal areas (excluding Inland Waters-regulations set by
Wildlife Resources Commission), 2 per person per day at 18” TL minimum
and unlawful to possess between 22” – 27” TL in Joint waters. Moratorium
in Cape Fear River system. Season October through April, statewide by
proclamation (except Cape Fear River). Includes hybrid bass.
(B)
Limit of 10/person/day or 60/trip, whichever is less. On headboats,
limit is 10/person/day. No sale of recreational bag limit on vessels
operating as charter or headboats.
(C) Unlawful to possess red drum greater than 27 inches total length. Unlawful to gig, spear, or gaff red drum. One black drum per person per day over 25” TL is allowed.
(D) North of Cape Hatteras
scup recreational season is July 6 through September 26. In state
coastal waters the minimum size is 8” TL and the bag limit is 50/day. In
the EEZ, the minimum size limit is 10” TL and the bag limit is 30/day.
For black sea bass NORTH of Cape Hatteras, the season is closed and final regulations are pending.
(E) See prohibited species list above; Legal sharks include: tiger,
blacktip, spinner, lemon, bull, nurse, smooth and scalloped and great
hammerhead, blacknose, finetooth, bonnethead, shortfin mako, blue,
thresher, porbeagle, and oceanic whitetip. One (1) Atlantic sharpnose
(no minimum size) and one bonnethead (no minimum size) per person per
day may be landed in addition to allowable bag limits for other sharks. See Proclamation FF-68-2013
(F) Mature female crabs are exempt from minimum size. Maximum size is
effective September through April and applies to mature females only.
(G) In state or federal waters, federal permit required for Highly
Migratory Species, excluding Atlantic bonito, little tunny (albacore),
and blackfin tuna: 978-281-9370. Prior to removal from vessel, all
billfishes, swordfish and bluefin tuna must be reported at NC HMS
reporting stations.
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(H)
Reef complex species: whitebone porgy, jolthead porgy, knobbed porgy,
longspine porgy, gray triggerfish, queen triggerfish, yellow jack,
crevalle jacks, bar jack, almaco jack, lesser amberjack, banded
rudderfish, white grunt, margates, spadefish and scup. 20 per person per
day in combination.
(I) For seasons, bag limits, size limits
or closures for tunas, billfishes, and sharks contact NMFS Highly
Migratory Species Division 1-800-894-5528. For snapper, grouper, and
mackerels contact the South Atlantic Council (843-571-4366 or www.safmc.net) and see Proclamation FF-5-2013
(J) Shallow water grouper species (gag, black, red, scamp, rock hind,
red hind, coney, graysby, yellowfin, and yellowmouth grouper ) harvest
is prohibited January 1–April 30. Possession of red snapper is currently
prohibited.
(K) Grouper in the management unit include: red,
yellowfin, yellowmouth, black, snowy, yellowedge, misty, gag, scamp, red
hind, rock hind, graysby, and coney. The three (3) grouper bag limit
also includes blueline, golden and sand tilefish. Maximum one golden
tilefish per person per day. No possession of Nassau, Goliath and warsaw
grouper, and speckled hind. No possession of golden tilefish effective June 3, 2013 through 12:01 A.M. January 1, 2014.
(L) It is unlawful to possess blacknose, finetooth, tiger, blacktip,
spinner, lemon, bull, nurse, shortfin mako, porbeagle, common thresher,
oceanic whitetip and blue sharks less than 54 inches (FL). It is
unlawful to possess great, scalloped and smooth hammerhead sharks less
than 78 inches (FL).
(M) One crab pot may be used from private property or private pier, without a license – Reference 15A NCAC 3J .0302.
(N) Contact DMF or visit http://portal.ncdenr.org/web/mf/proclamations for seasons, areas, or other restrictions.
(O) For aggregate creel limits for American shad and hickory shad, see Proclamation FF-71-2013.
(P) Season open July 1 – August 31.
(Q) Season open January 1-August 31
Size
and creel limits for spotted seatrout, flounder, red drum and gray
trout taken in joint and coastal waters are the same as the
recreational limits for those species in adjacent inland waters.
Possession of spotted seatrout is currently prohibited by Proclamation FF-9-2014. The Fisheries Director intends to reopen the recreational fishery June 15, 2014.
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Total length
(TL) is measured from tip of snout with mouth closed to top of
compressed tail. Fork length (FL) is measured from tip of snout to
middle of fork in tail. Lower jaw fork length (LJFL) is measured from
lower jaw to middle of fork in tail. Curved fork length (CFL) is the
measurement of the length taken in a line tracing the contour of the
body from the tip of the upper jaw to the fork of the tail.
Anglers cannot catch both a federal and state bag limit for the same species on the same trip.
Ocean boundary is defined as water seaward of the COLREGS Demarcation Lines as indicated on National Ocean Service navigation charts
No
one may possess aboard a vessel or while engaged in fishing any fish
subject to limits without head and tail attached, except for alewife and
blueback herring used for bait provided not more than two fish per
boat/operation may be cut at any one time – Reference 15A NCAC 3M .0101
IMPORTANT Check with Division of Marine Fisheries for most current minimum lengths and catch limits. 252-726-7021 or 800-682-2632.
Forinland water limits contact Wildlife Resources Commission at 919-707-0220 or visit their website: www.ncwildlife.org
This document is a public record under chapter 132 of the North
Carolina General Statutes. Anyone who alters, defaces, mutilates or
destroys it shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction subject
to fines.
Please NOTE! If you bookmark this page or place
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THIS DOCUMENT IS EFFECTIVE FEB. 5, 2014 AND IS FOR GENERAL
INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES AND HAS NO LEGAL FORCE OR EFFECT. FISHERY RULES
ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE. THESE RESTRICTIONS APPLY TO FISH TAKEN FOR
RECREATIONAL PURPOSES AND INCLUDE HOOK AND LINE. Updated State
regulations can be found at http://portal.ncdenr.org/web/mf/recreational-fishing-size-and-bag-limits and updated Recreational Commercial Gear License information can be found at http://portal.ncdenr.org/web/mf/recreational-commercial-gear-license
(Updated 02/05/14)
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Morehead City Office
(24 hours)
800-682-2632 or
252-726-7021 |
Elizabeth City Office
800-338-7805 or
252- 264-3911 |
Manteo Office
252- 473-5734 |
Pamlico Field Office
800-338-7804 or
252-946-6481 |
Wilmington Office
800-248-4536 or
910-796-7215 |
NMFS
(Fed. Reg.)
813-893-3722 |
| N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries • 3441 Arendell Street • Morehead City, NC 28557 • 252-726-7021 or 800-682-2632 |
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