North Carolina fishing regulations, 2026

Size limits, seasons and daily limits for every species NC Division of Marine Fisheries regulates, rewritten in plain English and rechecked against the official pages automatically. Last captured 2026-09-29.

Most searched

Striped Bass Black Sea Bass Bluefish Weakfish Largemouth Bass Blue Crab Red Drum Scup All 120 species A–Z →

Saltwater →

Alewife and Blueback HerringUNLAWFUL TO POSSESS American Eel9 inch minimum American ShadNone Atlantic CroakerNo size limit Atlantic Sharpnose SharkNo size limit Atlantic SpadefishNo size limit Bar JackNo size limit Bigeye Tuna27 inch minimum Black Drum14–25 inch slot Black Grouper24 inch minimum Black Sea Bass13 inch minimum Blackfin SnapperNo size limit Blacknose Shark54 inch minimum Blue Marlin99" LJFL Bluefin TunaNo size limit BluefishNo size limit Blueline TilefishNo size limit Bonnethead SharkNo size limit Cobia36 inch minimum ConeyNo size limit Cubera Snapper12 inch minimum DolphinNone Finetooth Shark54 inch minimum Flounder15 inch minimum Gag Grouper24 inch minimum Golden TilefishNo size limit Goliath GrouperNo size limit Gray Snapper12 inch minimum Gray Triggerfish12 inch minimum GraysbyNo size limit Greater Amberjack28 inch minimum Grunts (white grunt, margate, sailor's choice)No size limit Hammerhead Sharks (great, scalloped, smooth)78 inch minimum Hickory ShadNone Hogfish17 inch minimum King Mackerel24 inch minimum Lane Snapper8 inch minimum Large Coastal Sharks (blacktip, bull, lemon, nurse, spinner, tiger)54 inch minimum Misty GrouperNo size limit MulletNone Mutton Snapper18 inch minimum Nassau GrouperNo size limit Other Jacks (almaco jack, banded rudderfish, lesser amberjack)No size limit Other Porgies (jolthead, knobbed, whitebone, saucereye)No size limit Pelagic Sharks (blue, porbeagle, thresher)54 inch minimum Prohibited SharksNo size limit Queen SnapperNo size limit Red Drum18–27 inch slot Red Grouper20 inch minimum Red HindNo size limit Red Porgy14 inch minimum Red SnapperNo size limit Rock HindNo size limit Sailfish63 inch minimum Sand TilefishNo size limit Scamp20 inch minimum Scup9 inch minimum Scup (South of Cape Hatteras)No size limit Sharks (coastal species)See most recent DMF proclamations Sheepshead14 inch minimum Silk SnapperNo size limit Smooth DogfishNo size limit Snapper-Grouper complexSee the most recent Snapper/Grouper Complex recreational DMF proclamation Snowy GrouperNo size limit Spanish Mackerel12 inch minimum Speckled HindNo size limit Spiny DogfishNo size limit SpotNo size limit Spotted Seatrout14–20 inch slot Striped Bass28–31 inch slot Striped Bass (by management area)18–25 inch slot SturgeonNo size limit TarponNo size limit Vermilion Snapper12 inch minimum WahooNo size limit Warsaw GrouperNo size limit Weakfish12 inch minimum White Marlin66" LJFL WreckfishNo size limit Yellowedge GrouperNo size limit Yellowfin Grouper20 inch minimum Yellowfin Tuna27 inch minimum Yellowmouth Grouper20 inch minimum Yellowtail Snapper12 inch minimum

Freshwater →

Shellfish & crabs →

Bay ScallopNo size limit Blue Crab5 inch minimum Calico ScallopNo size limit Conchs and WhelksNo size limit Hard Clam1 inch minimum MusselsNo size limit Oyster3 inch minimum ShrimpNo size limit Spiny Lobster3 inch minimum Stone Crab2.75 inch minimum

Is it a keeper?

Say what you caught, snap a photo, or type it. SlotGauge checks today's rules and answers KEEP or RELEASE.

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