NC Division of Marine Fisheries

Florida Pompano is a delicious and prized species commonly caught in the surf and on piers in NC from late spring to early fall. Kelly harvested this 3-pound, 6-ounce fish June 2 from Hatteras Island.

Weigh-In Wednesdays feature recreational catch photos submitted to the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries. Visit our website for full submission instructions and rules: deq.nc.gov/Weigh-in-Wednesday

The North Carolina Tagging Program often receives reports of tagged sharks during the summer. While the Division does not tag sharks, we love seeing your pictures!

If you do catch a tagged shark, please report it to NOAA Fisheries Cooperative Shark Tagging Program (CSTP) at 1-877-826-2612, [email protected], or online at https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/resource/form/tagged-shark-recapture-form.

Having trouble identifying your shark species or just want to learn more information about shark tagging? Visit NOAA Fisheries CSTP at https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/resource/document/cooperative-shark-tagging-program.

New guide helps tackle ID'ing state's freshwater fishes | Coastal Review Check out the recently published “A Guide to North Carolina’s Freshwater Fishes" to find out which of the 40 families of freshwater fish are on the coast and where.

New harvest reporting requirements for recreational and commercial fisheries have been delayed by one year and will now become effective on Dec. 1, 2025.

The N.C. General Assembly recently passed Session Law 2024-45, which, in part, amends legislation from last fall that would have implemented the harvest reporting requirements on Dec. 1, 2024.

This extension will allow the NC Dept of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) and North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission to engage with stakeholders, not only to inform them about the requirements, but also to ensure that the reporting process and tool(s) are robust and user-friendly.

The legislation from last fall requires that any person who recreationally harvests Red Drum, flounder, Spotted Seatrout (speckled trout), Striped Bass and Weakfish (gray trout) must report that harvest to the DMF. This requirement applies to fish harvested from coastal fishing waters, joint fishing waters and inland fishing waters adjacent to coastal or joint fishing waters.

Additionally, the law requires anyone holding a commercial fishing license who is engaged in a commercial fishing operation to report all fish harvested to DMF, regardless of sale.

More information, including links to temporary rules to implement the laws, can be found on the Mandatory Harvest Reporting webpage at https://www.deq.nc.gov/mandatory-harvest-reporting. The webpage will continue to be updated as new information becomes available.

Mike got more than a few meals worth when he harvested a 60-pound Cobia out of Nags Head at the end of May. The NC saltwater state record for a Cobia is a whopping 116-pounds, 8-ounces set back in 2006.

Weigh-In Wednesdays feature recreational catch photos submitted to the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries. Visit our website for full submission instructions and rules: deq.nc.gov/Weigh-in-Wednesday

Attention anglers! The 2024 Red Snapper mini-season will be July 12. Anglers will be eligible to receive a special Red Snapper NC Saltwater Fishing Tournament citation (certificate) by donating their catch to the Carcass Collection Program.

Learn where and how to donate ➡ https://bit.ly/3zwTTxD

Celebrate the Fourth of July with Free Fishing Day in North Carolina! From 12 am until 11:59 pm, residents and visitors can fish without having to purchase a license. Don’t forget - all other fishing regulations apply such as length and daily possession limits, as well as bait and tackle restrictions.

What could make a great fishing day better? Sharing it with friends and family! Buddy, Shaun, Jerry, and Ray made the most of their time on the water out of Hatteras with three released Blue Marlin on May 12.

Weigh-In Wednesdays feature recreational catch photos submitted to the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries. Visit our website for full submission instructions and rules: deq.nc.gov/Weigh-in-Wednesday

Caught a tagged fish? Wondering what to do? Just remember to catch, cut, report. If you catch a tagged fish, cut off the tag, and report it to 1-800-682-2632 or online at https://deq.nc.gov/report-tagged-fish. Some fish may have two tags, so check both sides of your fish. By reporting your tagged fish, you will receive a reward packet with letter, certificate, and map containing information about your fish, and a reward of your choice. Yellow tag rewards include a Tagging Program hat, towel, fish pin or $5. Red tags are worth $100! Report your tagged fish today!

Ever caught a fish that you threw back because you didn’t know what kind it was? Learn how to identify some of the fish commonly caught in North Carolina coastal waters ➡ deq.nc.gov/species-profiles

If you’re still stumped, email a photo of the fish to [email protected]. Include a description of the fish and information about where you caught it. Staff with the Division of Marine Fisheries will do their best to solve the mystery.

Bud successfully released a 24.5-inch Spotted Seatrout from Beards Creek in April. Did you know Spotted Seatrout are not trout at all? When you hear the word trout most people are referring to several freshwater species (brooks, browns, rainbows) that belong to the family Salmonidae which also includes salmons. Spotted Seatrout belong to the saltwater drum and croaker family Sciaenidae.

Weigh-In Wednesdays feature recreational catch photos submitted to the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries. Visit our website for full submission instructions and rules: deq.nc.gov/Weigh-in-Wednesday

If you are near the coast and encounter what appears to be an enormous fiddler crab, please snap a photo!

The first confirmed Blue Land Crab sighting in North Carolina occurred last summer and researchers do not yet know the extent of the crab’s distribution nor its impact on the environment and other wildlife.

Blue land crabs are comparable in size to our native blue crabs but range widely in color (from orange to gray to bright purple).

Our biologists want to know if you see a Blue Land Crab! If you spot one, snap a photo and report the date and the location of your sighting. Heavy rains can push the crabs out of their burrows, becoming easier to spot.

Learn more about Blue Land Crabs and how to report sightings ➡ https://bit.ly/461nXNj

New commercial weekend closures and recreational possession limits for striped mullet will take effect Monday, June 24, to implement Amendment 2 to the Striped Mullet Fishery Management Plan, adopted by the Marine Fisheries Commission in May.

The commercial weekend closures are:
➡ Closed 11:59 p.m. Friday to 12:01 a.m. Monday from Jan. 1 to Sept. 30. ​
➡ Closed 11:59 p.m. Friday to 12:01 a.m. Tuesday from Oct. 1 to Dec. 31​.

The recreational possession limits are:
➡ Recreational individual bag limit of 100 fish. ​
➡ Recreational vessel limit of 400 fish. ​
➡ An exception for For-hire Vessel Operations to possess a bag limit for the number of anglers fishing up to the 400-fish maximum (including in advance of a trip)​.

Learn more: https://bit.ly/4bb8gor

Kudos to Chester for safely releasing a beautiful 25.5-inch Spotted Seatrout from Blunts Creek in early April of this year.

Weigh-In Wednesdays feature recreational catch photos submitted to the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries. Visit our website for full submission instructions and rules: deq.nc.gov/Weigh-in-Wednesday

Coastal Recreational Fishing License fees will increase July 1. The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission (WRC), which administers the recreational fishing license sales system for the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF), announced last week that it will increase hunting, fishing, trapping and activity licenses, permits, stamps and certifications. The fee adjustments are based on the total increase in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers since the last fee increase (Jan. 1, 2020). The DMF and WRC receive funding from license sales, and the increased fees will help the agencies offset operating costs that have been exacerbated by inflation and increased demand for services.

The new license fees for Coastal Recreational Fishing Licenses can be found at https://www.deq.nc.gov/recreational-fishing-licenses.

Recreational fishing licenses may be purchased online at GoOutdoorsNorthCarolina.com, at a Wildlife Service Agent or at Division of Marine Fisheries License Offices.

Our June cruise has come to an end! Our crew pulled a total of 54 tows and sorted many species of fish, shrimp and crabs over the course of the survey. This data will be used to inform fisheries management plans, stock assessments, and external research. Results and data from each cruise can be accessed through seamap.org. Thanks for joining us this June and we’ll see you in September!

The freezers are back! Recreational anglers can donate the carcasses of their catches to the DMF Carcass Collection Program at one of the freezer sites across the coast. Biologists collect data from the fish carcasses, including age, length, and s*x, and use this information to help evaluate the health and population size of the fish species.

Donating is easy and all supplies and instructions are provided at each site. Participating anglers will receive rewards for their donations and will be entered into a grand prize drawing at the end of the year. Learn more and find the nearest donation site at https://deq.nc.gov/carcass-collection-program

The is one of six fishery independent surveys under the SEAMAP-South Atlantic program. Fishery independent surveys are scientifically designed to standardize data collection independent of recreational or commercial fisheries. These surveys are conducted over a long time period to monitor trends in abundance. Unlike fishery dependent data, independent surveys are not affected by fishing practices, preferences, gears, or management. Independent data, coupled with dependent data, creates a holistic view of populations.

This year's Sound Survey will mark the 37th year for the survey which has provided over three decades of information about abundance, distribution, habitat use, and size composition of species found in Pamlico Sound. https://seamap.org/north-carolina-pamlico-sound-trawl-survey

The first week of the survey is in the books for 2024! Some of the highlights for our crew this week included seeing a Smooth Dogfish, Black Sea Bass, and lots of jellyfish. We’ll be back next week with more Sound Survey updates!

Started in 1987, this program was designed to provide long-term, fishery independent data on estuarine fish, shrimp and crabs in Pamlico Sound and the surrounding rivers and bays. https://seamap.org/north-carolina-pamlico-sound-trawl-survey/

The occurs over a two-week period in June and September each year. So far, our crew has pulled 11 trawls. During each set they collect environmental and species-specific data. This picture shows a Lady Crab (Ovalipes ocellatus), a striking species not commonly seen on this survey. https://seamap.org/north-carolina-pamlico-sound-trawl-survey/

While kayak fishing near Upper Broad Creek in April, Dan caught and released a yellow-tagged Spotted Seatrout that measured over 22 inches. His fish was tagged two months prior close-by in the Trent River. Dan’s fish illustrates the classic spring movement of Spotted Seatrout from smaller coastal creeks and tributaries to larger coastal rivers and sounds.

Tagging Tuesdays feature recreational and commercial fishing photos submitted to the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries. For more information about the Tagging Program or to report your tagged fish, visit: https://deq.nc.gov/fish-tagging-program

Today marks the beginning of the June leg of the 2024 Pamlico Sound Survey! Started in 1987, this program was designed to provide long-term, fishery independent data on estuarine fish, shrimp and crabs in Pamlico Sound and the surrounding rivers and bays. Check for posts this week highlighting our progress and interesting things seen!

Learn more about the survey ➡ https://bit.ly/4aNbnCI

The N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission will meet by web conference on June 6 at 11 a.m. to consider public comments received and vote on final adoption of temporary rules to implement mandatory harvest reporting requirements passed by the N.C. General Assembly in Session Law 2023-137, Section 6. Learn more: https://bit.ly/4e7gEbp

Asher released a true behemoth with this 51-inch Black Drum! Black Drum are one of the longest living species we have in North Carolina. DMF staff have aged one as old as 60 years old that was only 47-inches!

Weigh-In Wednesdays feature recreational catch photos submitted to the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries. Visit our website for full submission instructions and rules: deq.nc.gov/Weigh-in-Wednesday

Shad fishing is a very popular activity for anglers in eastern North Carolina and shad are targeted during their spring spawning runs. The shad spawning season overlaps with Striped Bass spawning season and anglers frequently catch both species. This is the case for Donald who, while targeting shad, caught and released a yellow-tagged Striped Bass in the Cape Fear River below Fayetteville. Originally tagged two years and two months prior, Donald’s Striped Bass grew 14.5 inches during that time and was even recaptured previously by another angler who reported the fish and re-released it back into the water. Tagging data is a valuable tool for tracking fish movements to-and-from spawning habitats in North Carolina’s coastal rivers.

Tagging Tuesdays feature recreational and commercial fishing photos submitted to the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries. For more information about the Tagging Program or to report your tagged fish, visit: https://deq.nc.gov/fish-tagging-program

The N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission concluded their May business meeting today. Learn more at ➡ https://bit.ly/4dX21ak

In order to preserve the southern flounder resource, the North Carolina recreational flounder season will not open for harvest in 2024. Estimates from 2023 indicate the recreational catch exceeded the quota allowed under a stock rebuilding plan that was included in Amendment 3 to the Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan and adopted by the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission.

Southern flounder is overfished and overfishing is occurring. Amendment 3 to the Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan, adopted by the Commission in 2022, set quotas for the recreational and commercial fisheries, based on scientific data, to end overfishing and rebuild the stock. There is a pound-for-pound payback if either sector goes over its quota.

During today’s quarterly business meeting, the Marine Fisheries Commission received an update on the recreational quota available for a recreational founder season. After subtracting the recreational overage from 2023, the recreational quota remaining for 2024 is not large enough to allow for a season opening. The leftover quota will be used to account for the anticipated dead discards that will occur due to incidental catch and release. The Commission discussed holding a special meeting to consider alternatives to not holding a 2024 recreational season but ultimately did not move forward with that approach.

Following Amendment 3 and not opening the 2024 recreational flounder season, combined with the increased recreational quota in 2025, should allow enough quota for a recreational season next year.

North Carolina’s southern flounder fisheries are managed under the Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan Amendment 3. For more information on the management measures, see the Southern Flounder Information Page under Hot Topics.

Read the full news release ➡ https://bit.ly/4bKQyss

Congratulations to Daniel who harvested an early season Wahoo weighing in at 66-pounds! Wahoo is a popular and tasty sportfish targeted during the summer and early fall months off the North Carolina coast.

Weigh-In Wednesdays feature recreational catch photos submitted to the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries. Visit our website for full submission instructions and rules: deq.nc.gov/Weigh-in-Wednesday