Dolphin regulations in North Carolina

· Saltwater · 2026 season

Is it a keeper? Dolphin has no size limit today, with a daily limit of 10.

Dolphin size limit, season and daily limit

Where	Season	Size limit	Daily limit
NC coastal and joint waters (to 3 mi)	Open year-round	None	10 per person per day

Notes

A 2026-10-31 check against the official source found a discrepancy in this species' limit. Read the official wording before keeping the fish: https://www.deq.nc.gov/about/divisions/marine-fisheries/rules-proclamations-and-size-and-bag-limits/recreational-size-and-bag-limits

Exact NC Division of Marine Fisheries wording

Season: Open year-round
Size: None
Limit: 10/Day
statewide — as printed: “Dolphin (B) | None | 10/Day”

Source: NC Division of Marine Fisheries, captured 2026-09-29 (2026 season).

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About the dolphin

Species of fish

The mahi-mahi, common dolphinfish, dolphinfish, dolphin or dorado is a surface-dwelling ray-finned fish found in off-shore temperate, tropical, and subtropical waters worldwide. It is one of two members of the family Coryphaenidae, the other being the pompano dolphinfish. These fish are most commonly found in the waters around the Gulf of Mexico, Costa Rica, Hawaii, and the Indian Ocean. In Italy it is called corifena, lampuga or pesce capone, and has even given its name to the caponata though eggplant has now taken the place of the fish.

Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Regulations on this page come from NC Division of Marine Fisheries, not Wikipedia.

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Frequently asked

What is the size limit for Dolphin in North Carolina?

None in North Carolina state waters.

How many Dolphin can you keep per day in North Carolina?

10 per person per day.

When is Dolphin season in North Carolina?

Open year-round.

Is my Dolphin a keeper today?

Dolphin has no size limit today, with a daily limit of 10.