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North Carolina saltwater size limits and seasons

84 species, 2026 rules for state waters. Tap a species for every zone, the exact NC Division of Marine Fisheries wording and a keeper check. Updated 2026-09-29. All 120 North Carolina species A–Z →

Species	Season	Size limit	Daily limit
Alewife and Blueback Herring	Closed	—	—
American Eel	Open year-round	9 inch minimum	25 per person per day
American Shad	Open year-round	None	aggregate creel limit by proclamation (D)
Atlantic Croaker	Open year-round	No size limit	50 per person per day
Atlantic Sharpnose Shark	Open year-round	No size limit	1 per person per calendar day
Atlantic Spadefish	Open year-round	No size limit	20-fish aggregate per person per day; no more than 10 of listed species
Bar Jack	Open year-round	No size limit	20-fish aggregate per person per day; no more than 10 of listed species
Bigeye Tuna	Open year-round	27 inch minimum	No state bag limit; federal HMS rules apply
Black Drum	Open year-round	14–25 inch slot	10 per person per day
Black Grouper	May 1 – December 31	24 inch minimum	1 per person per day (gag or black grouper, not both); 2 gag/black combined per private vessel per day; for-hire 2 per vessel per trip
Black Sea Bass	May 1 – December 31	13 inch minimum	15 per person per day
Blackfin Snapper	Open year-round	No size limit	10-fish snapper aggregate per person per day
Blacknose Shark	Open year-round	54 inch minimum	1 per vessel per calendar day (shore anglers 1 per person)
Blue Marlin	Open year-round	99" LJFL	1 per vessel per trip, either blue or white marlin
Bluefin Tuna	Open year-round	No size limit	Federal HMS rules apply
Bluefish	Open year-round	No size limit	5 per person per day (7 on for-hire vessels)
Blueline Tilefish	May 1 – August 31	No size limit	2 per person per day within 3-fish grouper/tilefish aggregate
Bonnethead Shark	Open year-round	No size limit	1 per person per calendar day
Cobia	May 1 – December 31	36 inch minimum	1 per person per day; 2 per vessel May–June, 1 per vessel July–Dec (for-hire 4)
Coney	May 1 – December 31	No size limit	3-fish grouper/tilefish aggregate per person per day
Cubera Snapper	Open year-round	12 inch minimum	10-fish snapper aggregate per person per day
Dolphin	Open year-round	None	10 per person per day
Finetooth Shark	Open year-round	54 inch minimum	1 per vessel per calendar day (shore anglers 1 per person)
Flounder	September 1 – September 14	15 inch minimum	1 per person per day
Gag Grouper	May 1 – August 1	24 inch minimum	1 per person per day (gag or black grouper, not both); 2 gag/black combined per private vessel per day; for-hire 2 per vessel per trip
Golden Tilefish	Closed	—	—
Goliath Grouper	Closed	—	—
Gray Snapper	Open year-round	12 inch minimum	10-fish snapper aggregate per person per day
Gray Triggerfish	Open year-round	12 inch minimum	20-fish aggregate per person per day; no more than 10 of listed species
Graysby	May 1 – December 31	No size limit	3-fish grouper/tilefish aggregate per person per day
Greater Amberjack	May 1 – March 31	28 inch minimum	1 per person per day
Grunts (white grunt, margate, sailor's choice)	Open year-round	No size limit	20-fish aggregate per person per day; no more than 10 of listed species
Hammerhead Sharks (great, scalloped, smooth)	Open year-round	78 inch minimum	1 per vessel per calendar day (shore anglers 1 per person)
Hickory Shad	Open year-round	None	aggregate creel limit by proclamation (D)
Hogfish	Open year-round	17 inch minimum	2 per person per day
King Mackerel	Open year-round	24 inch minimum	3 per person per day
Lane Snapper	Open year-round	8 inch minimum	10-fish snapper aggregate per person per day
Large Coastal Sharks (blacktip, bull, lemon, nurse, spinner, tiger)	Open year-round	54 inch minimum	1 per vessel per calendar day (shore anglers 1 per person)
Misty Grouper	Open year-round	No size limit	3-fish grouper/tilefish aggregate per person per day
Mullet	Open year-round	None	100 per day, species combined
Mutton Snapper	Open year-round	18 inch minimum	5 per person per day within the 10-fish snapper aggregate
Nassau Grouper	Closed	—	—
Other Jacks (almaco jack, banded rudderfish, lesser amberjack)	Open year-round	No size limit	20-fish aggregate per person per day; no more than 10 of listed species
Other Porgies (jolthead, knobbed, whitebone, saucereye)	Open year-round	No size limit	20-fish aggregate per person per day; no more than 10 of listed species
Pelagic Sharks (blue, porbeagle, thresher)	Open year-round	54 inch minimum	1 per vessel per calendar day (shore anglers 1 per person)
Prohibited Sharks	Closed	—	—
Queen Snapper	Open year-round	No size limit	10-fish snapper aggregate per person per day
Red Drum	Open year-round	18–27 inch slot	1 per person per day
Red Grouper	June 1 – December 31	20 inch minimum	3-fish grouper/tilefish aggregate per person per day
Red Hind	May 1 – December 31	No size limit	3-fish grouper/tilefish aggregate per person per day
Red Porgy	May 1 – June 30	14 inch minimum	1 per person per day or per trip, whichever is more restrictive
Red Snapper	Closed	—	—
Rock Hind	May 1 – December 31	No size limit	3-fish grouper/tilefish aggregate per person per day
Sailfish	Open year-round	63 inch minimum	1 per person per day
Sand Tilefish	Open year-round	No size limit	3-fish grouper/tilefish aggregate per person per day
Scamp	May 1 – December 31	20 inch minimum	1 per person per day (scamp or yellowmouth, not both) within 3-fish grouper aggregate
Scup	Open year-round	9 inch minimum	30 per person per day
Scup (South of Cape Hatteras)	Open year-round	No size limit	20-fish aggregate per person per day; no more than 10 of listed species
Sharks (coastal species)	Open year-round	See most recent DMF proclamations	See most recent DMF proclamations
Sheepshead	Open year-round	14 inch minimum	5 per person per day
Silk Snapper	Open year-round	No size limit	10-fish snapper aggregate per person per day
Smooth Dogfish	Open year-round	No size limit	No limit
Snapper-Grouper complex	Open year-round	See the most recent Snapper/Grouper Complex recreational DMF proclamation	See the most recent Snapper/Grouper Complex recreational DMF proclamation
Snowy Grouper	Closed	—	—
Spanish Mackerel	Open year-round	12 inch minimum	15 per person per day
Speckled Hind	Closed	—	—
Spiny Dogfish	Open year-round	No size limit	No limit
Spot	Open year-round	No size limit	50 per person per day
Spotted Seatrout	Open year-round	14–20 inch slot	3 per day, only 1 over 26 inches
Striped Bass	Open year-round	28–31 inch slot	1 per person per day
Striped Bass (by management area)	Closed	—	—
Sturgeon	Closed	—	—
Tarpon	Closed	—	—
Vermilion Snapper	Open year-round	12 inch minimum	5 per person per day
Wahoo	Open year-round	No size limit	2 per person per day
Warsaw Grouper	Closed	—	—
Weakfish	Open year-round	12 inch minimum	1 per person per day
White Marlin	Open year-round	66" LJFL	1 per vessel per trip, either blue or white marlin
Wreckfish	July 1 – August 31	No size limit	1 per vessel per day
Yellowedge Grouper	Open year-round	No size limit	3-fish grouper/tilefish aggregate per person per day
Yellowfin Grouper	May 1 – December 31	20 inch minimum	3-fish grouper/tilefish aggregate per person per day
Yellowfin Tuna	Open year-round	27 inch minimum	3 per person per day
Yellowmouth Grouper	May 1 – December 31	20 inch minimum	1 per person per day (scamp or yellowmouth, not both) within 3-fish grouper aggregate
Yellowtail Snapper	Open year-round	12 inch minimum	10-fish snapper aggregate per person per day