North Carolina’s Spotted Seatrout fishery is set to reopen for both recreational and commercial harvest in joint and coastal waters on July 1, 2025. This follows a closure due to cold stun events. With the reopening, new management measures from Amendment 1 to the Spotted Seatrout Fishery Management Plan will be implemented.
The N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission adopted this amendment in March 2025. The changes include a recreational slot limit of 14 to 20 inches, with an allowance for one fish over 26 inches, and a three-fish individual bag limit.
For commercial fishing, there will be a closure from 11:59 p.m. Friday through 12:01 a.m. Monday from January 1 through September 30. From October 1 through December 31, the closure extends until Tuesday at 12:01 a.m.
Specific regulations can be found in proclamation FF-22-2025.
Additionally, the cold stun management strategy has been updated to extend the harvest closure by an additional 15 days, now ending on June 30 following such an event.
Further details are available on the Spotted Seatrout Amendment 1 Information Page.
