- United States/
- Sunfish fishing in the United States/
- North Carolina/
- Sunfish fishing in North Carolina
Types of Sunfish in North Carolina
Sunfish fishing spots in North Carolina
Best baits and lures for Sunfish in North Carolina
According to catch data from over 20 million anglers on Fishbrain, these are the best baits used to catch Sunfish.
Find out what lures to use, download the Fishbrain app!
Biggest Sunfish catches
Latest Sunfish fishing reports in North Carolina
Continue browsing catches and catch locations in the Fishbrain app
Regulations for Sunfish 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 Bluegill as of May 18th, 2026. To view regulations for a different fish species, please click on your preferred species in the drop-down.
Seasons
Applies to all Sunfish (EXCEPT CRAPPIE, ROCK BASS, & ROANOKE BASS)
All public fishing waters except those listed below:
No daily creel limit.
No size limit.
In the following waters and their tributaries no size limit, 30 in combination, including no more than 12 redbreast sunfish:
- Cape Fear River
- Deep River downstream of Lockville Dam
- Haw River downstream of Jordan Lake Dam
- Lumber River including Drowning Creek
- Neuse River downstream of Falls Lake Dam
- Roanoke River downstream of Roanoke Rapids Dam
- Tar River downstream of Tar River Reservoir Dam
- Waccamaw River downstream of Lake Waccamaw Dam
- All public waters east of I-95, except Tar River Reservoir (Nash Co.)
Banded Sunfish, Bluegill, Bluespotted Sunfish, Dollar Sunfish, Flier, Green Sunfish, Longear Sunfish, Mud Sunfish, Orangespotted Sunfish, Redbreast Sunfish, Redear Sunfish, Redspotted Sunfish, Rock Bass, Shadow Bass, Warmouth
Regulations for
/-79.86110550000001,35.17051799911235,10,0.00,0.00/600x250?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
Our fisheries biologist, Ryan Hearn, goes through how to use key characteristics to properly ID different species of sunfish.
Free trial available
FAQ
These species can be found in many lakes, rivers and streams, coastal waters throughout the area. If you are targeting a specific species, you can use the to filter catches by species and see where anglers are catching them and which baits they are using.
The allows anglers to see exact catch locations shared by other members, helping you discover productive fishing spots where Sunfish have recently been caught.