Nongame Fish Size & Creel Limits
Species |
Size Limit |
Daily Creel Limit |
American Eel |
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All inland fishing waters |
9-inch minimum (regardless of origin) |
25 (regardless of origin) |
Atlantic Croaker |
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All inland fishing waters |
None |
50 |
Black Drum |
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All inland fishing waters |
14-inch minimum, none may be greater than 25 inches |
10 |
Blue Crabs |
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All inland fishing waters or in designated waterfowl impoundments located on game lands when taken by hook and line |
Minimum carapace width of 5 inches (point to point) |
50 crabs per person or 100 per vessel |
Bluefish |
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All inland fishing waters |
None |
3 |
Catfish (Blue, Channel, & Flathead) |
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All inland fishing waters except those listed below: |
None |
None |
Alamance County (Cedarock Park Pond), Alexander County (Ellendale Community Center Pond), Buncombe County (Azalea Park Pond, Charles Owen Park Pond, Lake Julian, Lake Louise, Lake Tomahawk), Cabarrus County (Frank Liske Park Pond, TN Spencer Park Pond), Cumberland County (Lake Rim*), Edgecombe County (Etheridge Pond*, Indian Lake, Newbold Pond*), Forsyth County (CG Hill Memorial Park Pond, Kernersville Lake, Village Point Lake, Winston Park Pond*), Franklin County (Owens Park Pond), Gaston County (Dallas Park Pond, George Poston Park Pond), Granville County (Lake Devin), Guilford County (Bur-Mill Park Ponds, Country Park Pond, Guilford County Farm Park, Hagan Stone Park Ponds, Keeley Park Ponds, Oka T Hester Pond), Jackson County (Cashiers Recreation Pond), Lee County (San-Lee Park Ponds), Lenoir County (Neuseway Nature Center Pond), Mecklenburg County (Elon Holmes Park Pond, Freedom Park Pond, Hornet’s Nest Park Pond, McAlpine Lake*, Robbins Park Ponds, Squirrel Lake), Moore County (Lake Luke Marion, Pages Lake), Nash County (Rocky Mount City Lake), Orange County (Anderson Community Park Pond, Lake Michael), Pitt County (River Park North Ponds), Polk County (Laughter Pond), Richmond County (Ellerbe Community Lake, Hamlet City Lake, Hinson Lake), Rowan County (Dan Nicholas Park Pond, Salisbury Community Park Lake, Lake Corriher), Stanly County (Albemarle City Lake), Surry County (Big Elkin Creek, Tumbling Rock Reservoir), Union County (Dogwood Park Pond), Vance County (Fox Pond), Wake County (Bass Lake, Bond Park Pond, Harris Lake County Park Pond, Pine Lake in Apex Community Park, Lake Raleigh*, Shelley Lake, Simpkins Pond in Lake Wheeler Park), Yadkin County (Yadkin County Park Pond) |
None |
7 Channel Catfish |
Ponds located on game lands |
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Pee Dee River downstream of Blewett Falls Dam to the South Carolina state line and all tributaries |
None |
5 in combination |
Badin Lake, Dan River (downstream of the Union Street Dam in Danville, VA), Lake Gaston (North Carolina Portion), John H. Kerr Reservoir (North Carolina Portion), Mountain Island Reservoir, Lake Norman, Roanoke Rapids Reservoir, Lake Tillery, Lake Wylie |
No minimum size limit, and only one Blue Catfish may be greater than 32 inches |
No daily creel limit for Blue Catfish less than 32 inches, and only one Blue Catfish may be greater than 32 inches |
Cobia |
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All inland fishing waters |
36-inch minimum |
1 (May 1 - Dec. 31) |
Freshwater Mussels Including The Asian Clam (Corbicula Fluminea) |
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All flowing inland fishing waters |
No freshwater mussels including the Asian clam may be taken or possessed. |
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All impounded inland fishing waters except those listed below |
None |
200 in combination, except there is no daily possession limit for the Asian clam |
University Lake (Orange Co.) |
No freshwater mussels including the Asian Clam may be taken or possessed. |
|
Lake Waccamaw |
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Grass Carp |
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All inland fishing waters except those listed below: |
None |
None |
Lake James Lookout Shoals Lake Mountain Island Reservoir Lake Wylie |
No grass carp may be possessed except one fish per day may be taken and possessed with archery equipment (see General Hunting Regulations). |
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Lake Gaston John H. Kerr Reservoir Lake Norman Roanoke Rapids Reservoir |
No grass carp may be possessed or taken by any method including archery equipment except for by permit issued by the Wildlife Resources Commission for scientific study. |
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King Mackerel |
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All inland fishing waters |
24-inch minimum |
3 |
Madtoms (Margined And Tadpole) |
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All inland fishing waters |
No margined madtom and tadpole madtom may be possessed. |
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Mullet (Striped And White) |
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All inland fishing waters |
None |
200 in combination |
River Herring (Alewife And Blueback Herring) |
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All inland fishing waters except those listed below: |
None |
None |
Inland fishing waters of coastal rivers and their tributaries up to the first impoundment of the main course on the river (listed below):
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No minimum size limit, but no river herring greater than 6 inches may be taken or possessed (regardless or origin) |
No daily creel limit for river herring less than 6 inches, and no river herring greater than 6 inches may be taken or possessed (regardless of origin) |
Lumber River including Drowning Creek |
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All other inland fishing waters east of I-95 |
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Little Tennessee River Basin in and upstream of Lake Santeetlah and Cedar Cliff Lake including all tributaries and impoundments |
No live alewife or blueback herring may be possessed, transported, or released. |
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Sharks |
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All inland fishing waters |
No sharks may be possessed. |
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Spanish Mackerel |
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All inland fishing waters |
12-inch minimum |
15 |
Spot |
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All inland fishing waters |
None |
50 |
Sturgeon |
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All inland fishing waters |
No sturgeon may be possessed. |
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Tarpon |
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All inland fishing waters |
No tarpon may be possessed. |
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Weakfish (Gray Trout) |
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All inland fishing waters |
12-inch minimum |
1 |
