SlotGaugeCheck a catchAlabama Bass regulations in North Carolina
Black bass · Freshwater · 2026 season
Alabama Bass size limit, season and daily limit
| Where | Season | Size limit | Daily limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| All NC public waters except Lake Chatuge | Open year-round | No size limit | No limit |
| Lake Chatuge (Clay Co.) | Open year-round | No size limit | 10 largemouth, smallmouth, Alabama and spotted bass in combination |
Notes
- No size or creel limit statewide — WRC wants Alabama bass removed where they are invasive. Lake Chatuge: 10 black bass of all species combined.
Exact NC Division of Marine Fisheries wording
- Season
- Open year-round
- Size
- None
- Limit
- No limit (Lake Chatuge: 10 black bass in combination)
- All NC public waters except Lake Chatuge — as printed
- “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”
Source: NC Division of Marine Fisheries, captured 2026-09-29 (2026 season).
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About the alabama bass
Species of ray-finned fish
Micropterus henshalli, the Alabama bass, is a medium-sized freshwater ray finned fish, a black bass from the genus Micropterus which is part of the sunfish family Centrarchidae. This species is endemic to the southeastern United States where it is native to the rivers which drain into Mobile Bay in Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and Georgia where they are found in pools in rivers which have a good flow and in impoundments. They have been introduced elsewhere in the United States; the hybridization of this species with the redeye bass after Alabama bass were introduced into Keowee Reservoir in South Carolina is thought to have been the cause in the decline in the population of redeye bass. Micropterus henshalli was first formally described as a subspecies of the spotted bass by Carl Leavitt Hubbs and Reeve Maclaren Bailey in 1940 with the type locality given as Jefferson County, Alabama. The specific name honors James A. Henshall who was a bass angler.
Read more about Alabama bass on Wikipedia →
Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Regulations on this page come from NC Division of Marine Fisheries, not Wikipedia.
All 120 North Carolina species A–Z →
Frequently asked
What is the size limit for Alabama Bass in North Carolina?
No size limit in North Carolina state waters.
How many Alabama Bass can you keep per day in North Carolina?
No limit.
When is Alabama Bass season in North Carolina?
Open year-round.
Is my Alabama Bass a keeper today?
Alabama Bass has no size limit today, with No limit.