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Wreckfish regulations in North Carolina

Wreckfish · Saltwater · 2026 season

Wreckfish size limit, season and daily limit

Notes

• One fish per boat per day, July and August only.
• 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

July 1 – August 31

Size

None

Limit

1 per vessel per day

NC coastal waters (to 3 mi) — as printed

“It shall be unlawful to possess more than one (1) wreckfish per vessel per day. It shall be unlawful to possess wreckfish except from July 1 through August 31 of each year.”

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

About the wreckfish

Species of fish

The Atlantic wreckfish, also known as the stone bass or bass groper, is a marine, bathydemersal, and oceanodromous ray-finned fish in the family Polyprionidae. It has a worldwide, if disjunct, distribution in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans.

Read more about Atlantic wreckfish 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 Wreckfish in North Carolina?

No size limit in North Carolina state waters.

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

1 per vessel per day.

When is Wreckfish season in North Carolina?

July 1 – August 31.

Is my Wreckfish a keeper today?

The wreckfish season is closed today. It is open July 1 – August 31.