Hickory Shad regulations in North Carolina

· Saltwater · 2026 season

Is it a keeper? Not yet converted to a keeper check. As printed: season Open year-round; size None; limit aggregate creel limit by proclamation (D). Read the exact wording below.

Hickory Shad size limit, season and daily limit

Where	Season	Size limit	Daily limit
statewide	Open year-round	None	aggregate creel limit by proclamation (D)

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://files.nc.gov/deq/documents/2025-12/FF-8-2026 Commercial and Rec Shad season_Draft (003).pdf

Exact NC Division of Marine Fisheries wording

Season: Open year-round
Size: None
Limit: aggregate creel limit by proclamation (D)
statewide — as printed: “Hickory Shad (D) | None | (D)”

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

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About the hickory shad

Species of fish

The hickory shad, fall herring, mattowacca, freshwater taylor or bonejack is a member of the family Alosidae, ranging along the East Coast of the United States from Florida to the Gulf of Maine. It is an anadromous fish species, meaning that it spawns in freshwater portions of rivers, but spends most of its life at sea. It is subject to fishing, both historic and current, but it is often confused with or simply grouped together with American shad in catch statistics.

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 Hickory Shad in North Carolina?

None in North Carolina state waters.

How many Hickory Shad can you keep per day in North Carolina?

aggregate creel limit by proclamation (D).

When is Hickory Shad season in North Carolina?

Open year-round.

Is my Hickory Shad a keeper today?

Not yet converted to a keeper check. As printed: season Open year-round; size None; limit aggregate creel limit by proclamation (D). Read the exact wording below.