Warmwater Game Fish Regulations

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State waters are classified as: inland, joint and coastal (see “General Information” on Inland Fishing Regulations). These state waters are collectively referred to as public fishing waters. Certain fishes, including largemouth bass, crappie and mountain trout are designated inland game fish and under the jurisdiction of the Wildlife Resources Commission in all public waters; whereas, other species, including striped bass, white and yellow perch, flounder and red drum, are designated as inland game fish only in inland waters (see list on Inland Fishing Regulations).

Species	Size Limit	Daily Creel Limit*
Largemouth Bass
All public waters except those listed below:	14-inch minimum, except 2 may be less than 14 inches	5, including only 2 less than 14 inches
Lake Santeetlah (Graham Co.)	No minimum size limit, and only 5 largemouth bass and smallmouth bass in combination may be greater than 14 inches	No daily creel limit for largemouth bass and smallmouth bass less than 14 inches, and only 5 largemouth bass and smallmouth bass in combination may be greater than 14 inches
Lake Cammack (Alamance Co.)	No minimum size limit, and only 2 may be greater than 14 inches	10, including only 2 greater than 14 inches
Lake Holt (Granville Co.)		10, including only 2 greater than 14 inches
New River (Alleghany Co. portion downstream of Fields Dam in Grayson Co., VA)	No minimum size, none between 14-22 inches may be possessed, and only 1 largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, or spotted bass may be greater than 22 inches	5 largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, and spotted bass in combination, including only 1 largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, or spotted bass greater than 22 inches
Lake Chatuge (Clay Co.)	12-inch minimum	10 largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, Alabama bass, and spotted bass in combination
In the following waters and their tributaries: Albemarle, Croatan, Currituck, and Roanoke Sounds Alligator River (including the Alligator/Pungo Canal (Intra-coastal Waterway) east of the U.S. 264/N.C. 45 bridge) Big Flatty Creek (Pasquotank Co.) Chowan River (including the Meherrin River) Little River (Pasquotank and Perquimans counties) North River (Camden and Currituck counties) Northwest River (Currituck Co.) Pasquotank River Perquimans River Roanoke River downstream of Roanoke Rapids Dam Scuppernong River Yeopim River All other associated tributaries and canals to the waters listed above	14-inch minimum	5
New Lake (Hyde Co.)
Pungo Lake (Hyde and Washington counties)
Lake Raleigh (Wake Co.)
Sutton Lake (New Hanover Co.)
Lake Hampton (Yadkin Co.)	14-inch minimum, except 2 may be less than 14 inches and none between 16-20 inches may be possessed	5, including only 2 less than 14 inches
Shearon Harris Reservoir (Chatham and Wake counties)		5, including only 2 less than 14 inches
Lake Phelps	14-inch minimum and none between 16-20 inches may be possessed	5
Buckhorn Reservoir (Nash and Wilson counties)	16-inch minimum	5
Cane Creek Lake (Union Co.)	16-inch minimum	5
Lake Mattamuskeet and associated canals (Hyde Co.)	16-inch minimum, and only 1 may be greater than 20 inches	5, including only 1 greater than 20 inches
Lake Thom-A-Lex (Davidson Co.)	18-inch minimum	5
Jean Guite Creek and assoicated canals within the Town of Southern Shores (Dare Co.)	No largemouth bass may be possessed
Ponds associated with Martin Marietta Park (Craven Co.)	No largemouth bass may be possessed
Smallmouth Bass
All public waters except those listed below:	14-inch minimum, except 2 may be less than 14 inches	5, including only 2 less than 14 inches
Lake Chatuge (Clay Co.)	No minimum size limit	10 largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, Alabama bass, and spotted bass in combination
New River (Alleghany Co. portion downstream of Fields Dam in Grayson Co., VA)	No minimum size limit, none between 14-22 inches may be possessed, and only 1 largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, or spotted bass may be greater than 22 inches	5 largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, and spotted bass in combination, including only 1 largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, or spotted bass greater than 22 inches
Lake Santeetlah (Graham Co.)	No minimum size limit, and only 5 largemouth bass and smallmouth bass in combination may be greater than 14 inches	No daily creel limit for largemouth bass and smallmouth bass less than 14 inches, and only 5 largemouth bass and smallmouth bass in combination may be greater than 14 inches
Alabama Bass And Spotted Bass
All public waters except those listed below:	None	None
Lake Chatuge (Clay Co.)	No minimum size limit	10 largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, Alabama bass, and spotted bass in combination
New River (Alleghany Co. portion downstream of Fields Dam in Grayson Co., VA)	No minimum size limit, none between 14-22 inches may be possessed, and only 1 largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, or spotted bass may be greater than 22 inches	5 largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, and spotted bass in combination, including only 1 largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, or spotted bass greater than 22 inches
Bartram’s Bass
All public waters	14-inch minimum, except 2 may be less than 14 inches	5, including only 2 less than 14 inches
Crappie (Black And White)
All public fishing waters except those listed below:	None	None
Buckhorn Reservoir (Nash and Wilson counties)	None	20 in combination
Lake Chatuge (Clay Co.)	None	30 in combination
In the following waters and their tributaries: B. Everett Jordan Reservoir Cane Creek Lake (Union Co.) Cape Fear River Deep River downstream of Lockville Dam Lake Hampton (Yadkin Co.) Haw River downstream of Jordan Lake Dam Hyco Lake Lumber River including Drowning Creek Neuse River downstream of Falls Lake Dam Lake Norman Lake Ramseur Tar River downstream of Tar River Reservoir Dam Waccamaw River downstream of Lake Waccamaw Dam All other public waters east of I-95, except Tar River Reservoir (Nash Co.), Sutton Lake (New Hanover Co.), and Roanoke River All public waters west of I-77, except Lake Chatuge (Clay Co.)	8-inch minimum	20 in combination
John H. Kerr Reservoir	9-inch minimum	25 in combination
Cashie, Eastmost, Middle, and Roanoke River (downstream of Roanoke Rapids Dam), and their tributaries	10-inch minimum	20 in combination
Lake Mattamuskeet and assoicated canals (Hyde Co.)	10-inch minimum	20 in combination
Sunfish (Except Crappie, Rock Bass, & Roanoke Bass)
All public fishing waters except those listed below:	None	None
In the following waters and their tributaries: Cape Fear River Deep River downstream of Lockville Dam Haw River downstream of Jordan Lake Dam Lumber River including Drowning Creek Neuse River downstream of Falls Lake Dam Roanoke River downstream of Roanoke Rapids Dam Tar River downstream of Tar River Reservoir Dam Waccamaw River downstream of Lake Waccamaw Dam All public waters east of I-95, except Tar River Reservoir (Nash Co.)	None	30 in combination, including no more than 12 redbreast sunfish
Striped Bass And Bodie Bass (Striped Bass Hybrid)
Inland Impoundments And Tributaries
Impounded inland waters and their tributaries except those listed below:	20-inch minimum	4 in combination
Lake Chatuge (Clay Co.)	No minimum size limit, and only 2 fish may be greater than 22 inches	15 in combination, including only 2 greater than 22 inches
Hyco Lake, Moss Lake, Mountain Island Reservoir, Oak Hollow Lake, Lake Thom-A-Lex, Lake Townsend, and Salem Lake	16-inch minimum	4 in combination
Lake Gaston	20-inch minimum (Oct. 1 - May 31) No minimum size limit (June 1 - Sept. 30)	4 in combination
Roanoke Rapids Reservoir		4 in combination
Dan River (Caswell Co.), downstream of Danville, VA	20-inch minimum (Oct. 1 - May 31) No minimum size limit (June 1 - Sept. 30)	2 in combination (Oct. 1 - May 31) 4 in combination (June 1 - Sept. 30)
John H. Kerr Reservoir
Coastal Rivers And Impoundments
Lake Mattamuskeet	18-inch minimum	3 in combination
Pee Dee River and tributaries downstream of Blewett Falls Dam	18-inch minimum	3 in combination
Roanoke River Striped Bass Management Area (including Cashie, Eastmost, Middle, and Roanoke rivers from Roanoke Rapids Dam downstream to mouth of the river at Albemarle Sound and its tributaries)	18-inch minimum, no fish may be greater than 22 inches (Season opened by proclamation only)	1 in combination (Season by proclamation only)
Albemarle Sound Striped Bass Management Area (including Albemarle, Croatan, Currituck, and Roanoke Sounds; as well as Alligator, Chowan, Little, North, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Scuppernong, and Yeopim rivers and their tributaries)	Established by Division of Marine Fisheries
Central-Southern Striped Bass Management Area, inland waters including: Cape Fear River and tributaries from Buckhorn Dam downstream to Lock and Dam #1 Neuse River and tributaries from Falls Lake Dam downstream to Pitchkettle Creek Pungo River upstream of the U.S. 264 bridge at Leechville Tar-Pamlico River and tributaries from Rocky Mount Mill Dam downstream to N&S Railroad Bridge at Washington All other unlisted inland waters of coastal rivers and tributaries	No striped bass may be possessed.
Central-Southern Striped Bass Management Area, joint waters including: Cape Fear River from Lock and Dam #1 downstream to the U.S. 17-74-76 bridge at Wilmington Neuse River and tributaries from Pitchkettle Cree downstream to Southern Railroad Bridge at New Bern Pungo River downstream of the U.S. 264 bridge at Leechville to Smith Creek All other unlisted joint waters of coastal rivers and tributaries	No striped bass may be possessed.
Central-Southern Striped Bass Management Area, coastal waters including: Cape Fear River downstream of the U.S. 17-74-76 bridge at Wilmington Neuse River downstream of Southern Railroad Bridge at New Bern, including Pamlico Sound and tributaries designated as coastal waters Pungo River downstream of Smith Creek Tar-Pamlico River downstream of the N & S Railroad Bridge at Washington, including Pamlico Sound and tributaries designated as coastal waters All other unlisted coastal waters	Established by Division of Marine Fisheries
Ponds associated with Martin Marietta Park (Craven Co.)	No striped bass may be possessed.
White Bass
All inland fishing waters	14-inch minimum	10
White Perch
All inland fishing waters except those listed below:	None	None
All public fishing waters in and west of Buncombe, Haywood, and Rutherford counties	No live white perch may be possessed, transported or released.
Shad (American And Hickory)
All inland fishing waters except those listed below:	None	10 in combination, including no more than 1 American shad
Pee Dee, Pungo, and Tar-Pamlico rivers and their tributaries	None	10 in combination
Cape Fear River and its tributaries	None	10 in combination, including no more than 5 American Shad
Lake Gaston	No American shad may be possessed
John H. Kerr Reservoir
Roanoke Rapids Reservoir
Walleye
All public fishing waters except those listed below:	None	8
Linville River upstream from N.C. 126 bridge	None	4
Lake James and tributaries	15-inch minimum	8
Lake Gaston	18-inch minimum	5
John H. Kerr Reservoir
Roanoke Rapids Reservoir
Muskellunge
All public fishing waters	42-inch minimum	1
Sauger
All public fishing waters	15-inch minimum	8
Kokanee Salmon
All public fishing waters	None	4
Bullheads (Black, Brown, Flat, Snail, Yellow, And White Catfish)
All inland fishing waters	None	10 in combination
Flounder
All inland fishing waters	15-inch minimum	4 (Sept. 1-Sept. 14)
Red Drum (Channel Bass, Red Fish, Or Puppy Drum)
All inland fishing waters	18-inch minimum; no fish may be greater than 27 inches	1
Spotted Sea Trout
All inland fishing waters	14-inch minimum	4
All Other Warmwater Game Fishes
All public fishing waters	None
* Please note: “In combination” means the total number for all species combined.