Inland coastal striped bass fishing occurs mostly in rivers and streams in north-central and northeastern counties, plus the Albemarle and Pamlico sounds, but rockfish are found in varying abundances in most coastal streams from Virginia to South Carolina.
The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission and N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries manage recreational harvests of striped bass, while the NCDMF also manages commercial landings. Where recreational waters overlap, called “joint” waters, NCDMF regulations usually are dominant.
The Commission divides coastal striped bass areas into six management units: Roanoke River, Albemarle Sound, three Central-Southern divisions and the Pee Dee River. The NCDMF has five management units: Atlantic Ocean, Roanoke River, Albemarle Sound, Cape Fear River and Central-Southern/Joint Inland waters.
All NCDMF-managed waters allow two stripers of at least 18 inches, but none between 22 and 27 inches may be kept —except during the spring Roanoke River season, one larger than 27 inches can be kept only between March 1 and April 30. But in Albemarle Sound, three stripers of at least 18 inches can be retained Oct. 1 to April 30. Cape Fear River striped bass are catch-and-release only while they are being rebuilt.
Commission stripers seasons and creel and size limits are the same as NCDMF rules on the Roanoke River, in the Albemarle and Pamlico sounds, and at the Central-Southern Tar-Pamlico Unit in the rivers from the N & S Railroad bridges at New Bern and Washington downstream. No stripers from Cape Fear River inland waters stripers may be kept.
For more information, visit www.ncwildlife.org or www.ncfisheries.net.
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