Fishing Areas and Species

North Carolina has thousands of miles of streams and shoreline where anglers can catch a variety fish species. The Common Freshwater Fish Species List below provides identification tips, fishing techniques, habitats and habits and other information on the most common freshwater fish species found in North Carolina. The Fishing Areas section provides information on more than 500 places to fish throughout the state.

Common Sport Fish Species

A class of vertebrate animals that breathe with gills and swim with fins. Fish can survive only in the water. Many fish are covered in scales.

Species	Scientific Name	Classification	Additional Information
American Shad	Alosa sapidissima	Game Fish	American Shad Information
black crappie	Pomoxis nigromaculatus	Game Fish	Black Crappie Information
blue catfish	Ictalurus furcatus	Nongame Fish	Blue Catfish Information
bluegill	Lepomis macrochirus	Game Fish	Bluegill Information
Bodie bass (hybrid striped bass)	Morone saxatillis x Morone chrysops	Game Fish	Bodie Bass Information
bowfin	Amia calva	Nongame Fish	Bowfin Information
brook trout	Salvelinus fontinalis	Game Fish	Brook Trout Information
brown trout	Salmo trutta	Game Fish	Brown Trout Information
bullhead catfish	Ameiurus species	Nongame Fish	Bullhead Catfish Information
chain pickerel	Esox niger	Game Species	Chain Pickerel Information
channel catfish	Ictalurus punctatus	Nongame Fish	Channel Catfish Information
common carp	Cyprinus carpio	Nongame Fish	Common Carp Information
flathead catfish	Pylodictis olivaris	Nongame Fish	Flathead Catfish Information
green sunfish	Lepomis cyanellus	Game Fish	Green Sunfish Information
hickory shad	Alosa mediocris	Game Fish	Hickory Shad Information
largemouth bass	Micropterus salmoides	Game Fish	Largemouth Bass Information
muskellunge	Esox masquinongy	Game Fish	Muskellunge Information
pumpkinseed	Lepomis gibbosus	Game Fish	Pumpkinseed Information
rainbow trout	Oncorhyncus mykiss	Game Fish	Rainbow Trout Information
redbreast sunfish	Lepomis auritus	Game Fish	Redbreast Sunfish Information
redear sunfish	Lepomis microlophus	Game Fish	Redear Sunfish Information
Roanoke bass	Ambloplites cavifrons	Game Fish	Roanoke Bass Information
rock bass	Ambloplites rupestris	Game Fish	Rock Bass Information
smallmouth bass	Micropterus dolomieu	Game Fish	Smallmouth Bass Information
spotted bass	Micropterus punctulatus	Game Fish	Spotted Bass Information
striped bass	Morone saxatilis	Game Fish	Striped Bass Information
walleye	Sander vitreus	Game Fish	Walleye Information
warmouth	Lepomis gulosus	Game Fish	Warmouth Information
white bass	Morone chrysops	Game Fish	White Bass Information
white catfish	Ameiurus catus	Nongame Fish	White Catfish Information
white crappie	Pomoxis annularis	Game Fish	White Crappie Information
white perch	Morone americana	Game Fish	White Perch Information
yellow perch	Perca flavescens	Game Fish	Yellow Perch Information