- United States/
- North Carolina
Fishing in North Carolina
Find fishing spots near you with Fishbrain's interactive crowd-sourced map
Top fishing waters in North Carolina
Want trophy-size catches? These North Carolina spots deliver
Biggest catches in North Carolina
Latest North Carolina fishing reports
Dare County Coast
length · weight
Continue browsing catches and catch locations in the Fishbrain app
Fishing regulations in North Carolina
Disclaimer: Always check local fishing regulations, water access rights and land ownership before fishing, regardless of any catches logged in that area by the Fishbrain community. Fishbrain has mapped millions of acres of government-owned land across the USA to help you identify potential fishing access, but you are responsible for ensuring compliance with all legal requirements.
Fishing regulations in North Carolina can change throughout the year. Make sure to check this page before fishing for the most up to date rules and regulations for the current season. Local regulations govern when you can fish, the max size of the fish you can keep, how many fish you can keep, and more.
Below you will see fishing regulations for catching Blue catfish as of April 3rd, 2026. To view regulations for a different fish species, please click on your preferred species in the drop-down.
Seasons
No size or daily creel limit in all inland fishing waters except those listed below:
Alamance County (Cedarock Park Pond), Alexander County (Ellendale Com- munity Center Pond), Buncombe County (Azalea Park Pond, Charles Owen Park Pond, Lake Julian, Lake Louise, Lake Tomahawk), Cabarrus County (Frank Liske Park Pond, TN Spencer Park Pond), Cumberland County (Lake Rim*), Edgecombe County (Etheridge Pond*, Indian Lake, Newbold Pond*), Forsyth County (CG Hill Memorial Park Pond, Kernersville Lake, Village Point Lake, Winston Park Pond*), Franklin County (Owens Park Pond), Gaston County (Dallas Park Pond, George Poston Park Pond), Granville County (Lake Devin), Guilford County (Bur-Mill Park Ponds, Country Park Pond, Guilford County Farm Park, Hagan Stone Park Ponds, Keeley Park Ponds, Oka T Hester Pond), Jackson County (Cashiers Recreation Pond), Lee County (San-Lee Park Ponds), Lenoir County (Neuseway Nature Center Pond), Mecklenburg County (Elon Holmes Park Pond, Freedom Park Pond, Hor- net's Nest Park Pond, McAlpine Lake*, Robbins Park Ponds, Squirrel Lake), Moore County (Lake Luke Marion, Pages Lake), Nash County (Rocky Mount City Lake), Orange County (Anderson Community Park Pond, Lake Michael), Pitt County (River Park North Ponds), Polk County (Laughter Pond), Richmond County (Ellerbe Community Lake, Hamlet City Lake, Hinson Lake), Rowan County (Dan Nicholas Park Pond, Salisbury Community Park Lake, Lake Corriher), Stanly County (Albe- marle City Lake), Surry County (Big Elkin Creek, Tumbling Rock Reservoir), Union County (Dogwood Park Pond), Vance County (Fox Pond), Wake County (Bass Lake, Bond Park Pond, Harris Lake County Park Pond, Pine Lake in Apex Community Park, Lake Raleigh*, Shelley Lake, Simpkins Pond in Lake Wheeler Park), Yadkin County (Yadkin County Park Pond):
No size limit; daily creel limit 7 Channel Catfish
Ponds located on game lands
Pee Dee River downstream of Blewett Falls Dam to the South Carolina state line and all tributaries
No size limit; daily creel limit 5 in combination
Badin Lake, Dan River (downstream of the Union Street Dam in Danville, VA), Lake Gaston (North Carolina Portion), John H. Kerr Reservoir (North Carolina Portion), Mountain Island Reservoir, Lake Norman, Roanoke Rapids Reservoir, Lake Tillery, Lake Wylie
No minimum size limit, and only one Blue Catfish may be greater than 32 inches
No daily creel limit for Blue Catfish less than 32 inches, and only one Blue Catfish may be greater than 32 inches
For more information please see https://www.ncwildlife.org/licensing/regulations
Ictalurus furcatus
Regulations for
/-78.638,35.771,10,0.00,0.00/600x250?access_token=pk.eyJ1IjoiZmlzaGJyYWluLWRldiIsImEiOiJjbDl6ZDU2amEwZXFtM29rNmI5cTV5ZGZ3In0.PEsOW8Rbc7G-mIBHpNXeGQ&logo=false&attribution=false)
From the Fishbrain blog
Learn where to fish, when to fish, and top tips from our anglers to help you land that personal best
We highlight some of our best tips for finding pre-spawn bass as they move from deepwater to potential bedding areas and look at must have lures for pre-spawn and how Fishbrain can help you find that perfect spot.
Every fall, anglers in the gulf and Atlantic become obsessed with pumpkins. Not because of the looming Halloween holiday, however, but the presence of bull redfish. Learn more about why these giant fish are one of the most sought after species in saltwater this time of year.
Our fisheries biologist, Ryan Hearn, goes through how to use key characteristics to properly ID different species of sunfish.
Free trial available