SlotGaugeCheck a catchGrunts (white grunt, margate, sailor's choice) regulations in North Carolina
Grunts · Saltwater · 2026 season
Is it a keeper? Grunts (white grunt, margate, sailor's choice) has no size limit today, with a daily limit of 20.
Grunts (white grunt, margate, sailor's choice) size limit, season and daily limit
| Where | Season | Size limit | Daily limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| NC coastal waters (to 3 mi) | Open year-round | No size limit | 20-fish aggregate per person per day; no more than 10 of listed species |
| Federal waters (3–200 mi, SAFMC) | Open year-round | No size limit | 20-fish aggregate per person per day; no more than 10 of listed species |
Notes
- Counts toward the 20-fish per person per day aggregate; no more than 10 of the aggregate may be whitebone, jolthead, knobbed or saucereye porgy, scup (south of Cape Hatteras), gray triggerfish, bar jack, almaco jack, banded rudderfish, lesser amberjack, white grunt, margate, sailor's choice or spadefish combined.
- Snapper-grouper gear rules: non-offset, non-stainless circle hooks with natural bait; a dehooking tool and a descending device (16 oz weight, 60 ft line) must be on board; fish must be landed with heads and fins intact.
- Federal rules apply in both state and SAFMC waters; seasons can close early when catch limits are met — check safmc.net/regulations.
Exact NC Division of Marine Fisheries wording
- Season
- Open year-round
- Size
- None
- Limit
- 20 per person per day aggregate (no more than 10 of the listed species)
- NC coastal waters (to 3 mi) — as printed
- “white grunt, margate, sailor’s choice and spadefish. ... It shall be unlawful to possess more than ten (10) of the following species of fish within the twenty (20) fish per person per day aggregate bag limit”
Source: NC Division of Marine Fisheries, captured 2026-09-29 (2026 season).
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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 Grunts (white grunt, margate, sailor's choice) in North Carolina?
No size limit in North Carolina state waters.
How many Grunts (white grunt, margate, sailor's choice) can you keep per day in North Carolina?
20-fish aggregate per person per day; no more than 10 of listed species.
When is Grunts (white grunt, margate, sailor's choice) season in North Carolina?
Open year-round.
Is my Grunts (white grunt, margate, sailor's choice) a keeper today?
Grunts (white grunt, margate, sailor's choice) has no size limit today, with a daily limit of 20.