Effective at 12:01 a.m., on March 29, 2019, the striped bass season is closed in all waters of the Central Southern Management Area. Read more.
Sample Date
Area Sampled
Water Temp (oF)
Boat Ramp Used
5/13/2019
Goldsboro
73
Cox’s Ferry
Species
Striped Bass
American Shad
Hickory Shad
Number Collected
2
59
0
Min. Size (in)
20
15
Max. Size (in)
21
Max. Weight (lb)
3
Sex Ratio (M:F)
1:1
Fisheries Biologists conducting sampling: Courtney Buckley and Ben Ricks
Biologists’ Observations:
Only 2 Striped Bass were seen in Goldsboro this week. With temperatures continuing to rise and water levels very low, most of the Stripers have spawned and moved back downstream. American Shad are still in Goldsboro in good numbers.
River level and other water quality observations:
Water levels are well below average impeding sampling due to accessibility. Water temperature has risen and will continue to rise, especially with lower water levels.
Weather conditions on sampling date:
Overcast, 75 to 85°F
Observations of people fishing on the river:
No anglers seen in Goldsboro.
Week of May 13-17, 2019
Upper Region (Goldsboro to Raleigh)
The Goldsboro area was a popular spot for anglers to catch catfish last week and striped bass were caught off the bank near Cox’s Ferry. There were no reports of shad.
Central Region (Core Creek to Seven Springs, Goldsboro Area)
In the central Neuse River region, water levels dropped to a more favorable height, and anglers were very successful. Anglers reported catches of catfish, largemouth bass, and sunfish species in high numbers, especially in creeks above the Highway 43 bridge.
Lower Region (Spring Garden to New Bern)
According to anglers, the sunfish bite is substantially less this year as compared to previous years. However, anglers still reported catches of bluegill, redear sunfish, and warmouth from Lawson’s Creek down to Pollocksville on the Trent River. There were also reports of largemouth bass and no reports of shad or striped bass.
Shad and Striped Bass Regulations for the Neuse River
As of March 29, 2019, Striped Bass harvest season is CLOSED in all waters of the Neuse River and its tributaries downstream of Falls Lake Dam. MORE INFORMATION
The daily creel limit per angler is 10 Hickory Shad and American Shad in combination, only one of which can be an American Shad.
Ami Staples of the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) shared some creel survey information collected from different stretches along the Neuse River. The creel surveys are conducted during March, April, and May in the upper portions of the Tar, Neuse, and Cape Fear rivers. The surveys are administered by the Division of Marine Fisheries through Coastal Recreational Fishing License funding, and the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission assists with survey design and data interpretation in the upper portions of each river.
NCWRC Fisheries Biologist Courtney Buckley with an American Shad from the Neuse River near Goldsboro.
5/6/2019
Lock & Dam 1
71
Lock & Dam 3
72
5/8/2019
Buckhorn Dam
70
Buckhorn Landing
138
17
14
31
13
4
2:1
American Shad were seen in large numbers in Goldsboro, and there are still some in Raleigh as well. A few striped Bass were observed downstream of Falls Lake Dam, in Smithfield, and in Goldsboro. Nearly all Striped Bass were spawned-out and abundances have decreased indicating that spawning is nearly complete. Many of the Striped Bass have already started moving downstream.
Water levels have fallen drastically over the last week, and water temperatures have increased since last week.
Clear, sunny, 75 to 85°F
A few bank anglers were seen in Smithfield and Raleigh.
Week of May 6-10
Water levels have returned to normal and fishing activity has picked-up. Anglers mainly targeted catfish and were successful near Cox’s Ferry. No reports of shad or striped bass.
More anglers were out fishing this past week with warmer temperatures and normal water levels. Anglers reported catches of largemouth bass and multiple species of sunfish primarily in the creeks along the Neuse River. Anglers reported that the bite was slow for shad and there were no reports of striped bass.
Nicer weather and spring temperatures contributed to increased fishing within the Lower Neuse. Anglers fishing in Pollocksville reported catches of bluegill, channel catfish, and white perch. Around New Bern, anglers caught striped bass, channel catfish, largemouth bass, and multiple species of sunfish. There were no reports of shad.
NCWRC Fisheries Biologist Ben Ricks with a Striped Bass from the Neuse River near Smithfield.
Water Temp ( oF)
4/29/2019
Raleigh
68
Anderson’s Point
Buffalo Rd
4/30/2019
Smithfield
Smithfield BAA
5/1/2019
Cox’s Ferry BAA
118
97
3:1
More American Shad were seen this week with water levels falling. American Shad were seen in numbers again in Goldsboro, while a few were seen in Raleigh. Striped Bass were still seen in numbers in Raleigh below Milburnie, with a few seen downstream of Falls Lake Dam and some in Smithfield. A few nice sized Largemouth Bass were collected in a stretch below Falls Lake Dam, with the largest weighing about 8 lb. A 72.7 lb Flathead Catfish was also seen this week near Goldsboro, which is the largest Flathead observed in the Neuse River by NCWRC biologists.
Water levels have fallen over the last week, though the river remains fairly high. Water temperatures have remained consistent but are anticipated to rise with warmer weather this week.
Week of April 22-28
High water levels continued to impede anglers from accessing their favorite fishing spots. Anglers that did venture out mainly caught catfish. No reports of shad or striped bass.
The shad bite slowed immensely as high water levels are still hindering anglers. Anglers did report catches of catfish, and there were no reports of striped bass.
From Lawson’s Creek to Pollocksville, anglers reported catches of striped bass, largemouth bass, white perch, black crappie, bluegill, and channel catfish. There were no reports of shad.
NCWRC Fisheries Biologist Courtney Buckley with a Striped Bass from the Neuse River near Raleigh.
4/22/2019
64
4/23/2019
63
4/25/2019
67
Buffaloe Rd
143
47
18
32
16
5:1
Fisheries Biologists conducting sampling:
Courtney Buckley and Ben Ricks
Throughout the week, Striped Bass have been moving upriver and have arrived in Raleigh in numbers below Milburnie Dam as well as in Smithfield. Striped Bass abundance is likely peaking in these areas with water temperatures warming. They will most likely spawn over the weekend or next week if they haven’t already. A few Striped Bass were seen below Falls Lake Dam. American Shad were collected in Goldsboro and below Falls Lake Dam in good numbers.
Water levels are still high, and the current is moving very swiftly. Water levels should come down a bit over the next week. Always check current conditions using the links on the fisheries reports page. Caution should still be used both when bank or boat fishing, as there is large woody debris moving downstream. Warmer weather over the past week has water temperatures rising.
Recent storms have contributed to excessively high water levels in all regions of the Neuse this past week. The few anglers that were fishing targeted catfish. No reports of shad or striped bass.
High water levels deterred most anglers from fishing, and those that were out had little to no catches. Catfish were targeted with no reports of shad or striped bass.
Anglers enjoyed catches of pumpkinseed, bluegill, redbreast, and redear sunfish throughout the lower Neuse. There were also catches of largemouth bass and crappie. No reports of shad or striped bass.
4/15/2019
4/16/2019
62
Buffalo Road
4/18/2019
12
29
10
11:1
Striped Bass are arriving on the spawning grounds with a few seen in Goldsboro and Smithfield. High water levels have enabled fish to move further up river. With water temperatures warming, more Striped Bass should be seen in the next few weeks.
Water levels are very high, and current is moving very swiftly. Caution should be used both when bank or boat fishing, as there is large woody debris moving downstream. Warmer weather over the past week and coming weekend has water temperatures rising.
Clear, sunny, 65 to 80°F
Week of April 8–14
Fishing pressure dropped off in the upper Neuse and anglers only reported catching largemouth bass and bowfin. Heavy rains brought high water levels and there were no reports of shad or striped bass.
Rising water levels hindered anglers from accessing the river around New Bern and Kinston. The shad bite was very slow because of conditions, and anglers mainly targeted catfish. There were no reports of striped bass.
Anglers targeted a variety of species in the lower Neuse and reported catches of striped bass, bluegill, largemouth bass and white perch. Heavy winds and rain kept anglers off the water last weekend. There were no reports of shad.
NCWRC Fisheries Biologist Courtney Buckley with a Striped Bass from the Neuse River near Smithfield.
4/9/2019
4/11/2019
8
44
19
6:1
As water temperature increases, we have seen more American Shad in Goldsboro and a few moving through Raleigh. Striped Bass are starting to move onto the spawning grounds with a few seen in Goldsboro this week.
Water levels have increased with heavy rainfall early in the week. Warm weather has caused water temperatures to increase over the weekend. The water is moving fast and has high turbidity. Boaters should use caution when navigating the river.
Overcast to Partly Sunny, 65 to 80°F
A few boat and bank anglers were seen the Goldsboro area.
The upper Neuse had a slow week with only a few anglers landing American shad at the beginning of last week. Last weekend, anglers in Raleigh caught crappie, catfish, and bowfin.
The shad bite was slow but present between Vanceboro and Grifton on the middle Neuse. Anglers in the Kinston area had the most success. Further up river around Seven Springs, the bite was almost non-existent.
It was a very slow fishing week on the lower Neuse with very few reports of shad being caught and no reports of striped bass. Anglers mainly targeted white perch, sunfish, largemouth bass, and crappie.
NCWRC Aquatic Wildlife Diversity Biologist Katharine DeVilbiss with an American Shad from the Neuse River near Goldsboro.
4/3/19
52
4/4/19
55
Hwy 117 BAA
22
1
10:1
American Shad have come up river arriving in Goldsboro. Numbers have increased significantly and are anticipated to increase even more with American Shad migrating to Goldsboro and Raleigh in the coming weeks. No Striped Bass have been observed in the upper portion of the Neuse River yet.
The Neuse River water levels have dropped since last week. Boaters should use caution as obstructions may now be hazardous to navigation.
Partly Sunny, Windy, 60 to 75°F
A few bank anglers and boat anglers were observed, but there is room for plenty more.
Week of March 25-31
The shad have finally made it to the upper Neuse region. Catches were many within the area including the annual shad tournament out of Goldsboro last Saturday.
With water levels returning back to normal, so did the shad bite. Hickory shad were steadily caught around the Kinston and Grifton areas, and American shad catches were intermittent.
The lower Neuse River was busy last week with anglers targeting striped bass, shad, largemouth bass, and catfish. The striped bass were biting with multiple catches reported, while the shad bite had slowed to only a few fish inconsistently caught.
3/27/2019
25
0:1
American Shad have arrived in Goldsboro, but their abundance was relatively low in our electrofishing sample this week. Numbers are anticipated to increase with more American Shad in Goldsboro moving up to Raleigh in the coming weeks. Striped Bass were not observed in Goldsboro this week.
The Neuse River remains high after a few weeks of rainfall. Water levels are falling and will vary over the next few weeks dependent on rainfall. Water quality is normal with temperature around 57°F.
Partly sunny, windy, 40–50°F
No anglers were observed in Goldsboro this week
Week of March 18-24
The number of people fishing picked up slightly over the past week, however fishing success remained low. Anglers targeted shad, but the only catches reported in the upper Neuse were for bowfin in Raleigh.
Water levels were slowly dropping throughout the week, and anglers made it out to target shad and striped bass. Anglers caught hickory shad throughout the region, however catches were still inconsistent, and the bite was very slow.
Fishing picked up later in the week despite the windy conditions. Anglers had good luck fishing from shore and from boats at Spring Garden, and there were several reports of hickory shad catches. The “Fishers of Men” tournament took place over the weekend out of Lawson’s Creek, and participants caught striped bass, spotted seatrout, and largemouth bass.
Electrofishing information
Shad and River Herring Identification Handout
REPORT a Tagged Striped Bass
Striped Bass Reward Poster (PDF)
Monitoring and Surveys Reports
May 17, 2018 May 10, 2018 May 3, 2018 April 27, 2018 April 20, 2018 April 13, 2019 April 6, 2019 March 29, 2018 March 21, 2018
May 12, 2017 Report
May 5, 2017 Report
April 28, 2017 Report
April 21, 2017 Report
April 13, 2017 Report
April 7, 2017 Report
March 31, 2017 Report
March 24, 2017 Report
March 17, 2017 Report
March 10, 2017 Report