North Carolina has three designations of fishing waters: Coastal Waters that are generally saltwater, Joint Waters that are generally brackish, and Inland Waters are generally considered freshwater. But in extended periods of excessive rainfall or drought, these waters change, and fish don’t pay attention to the signs posted at the boundaries.
License requirements vary in the different waters. Coastal waters require a Coastal Recreational Fishing License (CRFL); Inland Waters require a freshwater license and either license is acceptable in Joint Waters. Enforcement coverage is divided similarly between the N.C. Department of Marine Fisheries’ Marine Patrol and the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission’s Enforcement Division. Other than requiring different licenses, the biggest difference is that gill-net fishing is not allowed in Inland Waters.
All three water classifications come into play in the Neuse and its tributaries. In the Neuse, Joint Waters begin a few miles upriver from New Bern around the mouth of Pitchkettle Creek. Below that point is Coastal Waters and above it is Inland Waters.
The Trent is classified as Joint Waters from its junction with the Neuse upstream approximately the mouth of Wilson Creek; upstream from there is Inland Waters.
Most of the creeks on the west and southern banks of the Neuse from New Bern downriver to just beyond Havelock are classified as Inland Waters. Clubfoot Creek, Adams Creek, South River and Turnagin Bay are Coastal Waters.
On the north and east side of the Neuse, there is a lot of variation. Some have Coastal Water classifications a ways into the creek, while some have Joint Water classifications, and some are classified as Inland Waters from their mouths inland.
A map of the area, with the water classifications and boundaries is available at http://ncpaws.org/wrcmaps/CoastalJointAGOL.htm.
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