North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission

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Fisheries Research Reports

Fisheries research reports are technical in scope and provide an in-depth, scientific approach to address a suite of questions about our fisheries and habitat to inform management decisions for our agency. Our fisheries research is based on sound science and supported through the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration. Note: all reports open as PDFs in separate window. 

2021 - Newport River Sportfish Community Survey, 2020  (5-page Final Report)

2020 - Population characteristics of Largemouth Bass in the Roanoke and Cashie rivers, 2018–2019 (18-page Final Report)

2020 - Tar River Sport Fish Community Survey - 2019 (17-page Final Report)

2020- Addressing an 18-year Largemouth Bass trophy regulation at Lake Phelps (20-page Final Report)

2020 - Public Mountain Trout Water Angler Survey: Exploring characteristics of recreational trout anglers and attitudes toward reduction of regulatory stream classifications (96-page Report)

2019 - N.C. Catfish Management Plan (71-page Final Plan)

2018 - Roanoke River Striped Bass Spring Electrofishing (71-page Final Report)

2017-2014 Reports

2017 - Exploring Casual Factors of Striped Bass Spawning Stock Mortality in the Neuse River  (23-page Survey Report)

2016 - Characteristics of Recreationally Important Fish Populations of the White Oak River  (11-page Survey Report)

2015 - Assessment of Largemouth Bass and Pumpkinseed at Lake Phelps, 2013-2014  (13-page Final Report)

2015 - Cape Fear River American Shad Survey (18-page Final Report) 

2015- Neuse River American Shad Survey (24-page Final Report) 

2015- Roanoke River American Shad Survey (20-page Final Report) 

2015 - Tar River American Shad Survey (11-page Final Report)

2015 - Roanoke River Striped Bass Creel Survey (22-page Final Report)

2015 - Roanoke River Striped Bass Spring Electrofishing  (22-page Final Report)

2015 - Trout Anglers' Participation in and Opinions on Trout Fishing in North Carolina (197-page Final Report)

2015 - North Carolina Landowners' Attitudes Toward Trout Fishing Access (101-page Final Report)

2015 - Mountain Trout Fishing: Economic Impacts on and Contributions to North Carolina's Economy (59-page Final Report)

2014 - Survey Report on Largemouth Bass and Sunfish in Neuse, Trent, and Pungo Rivers (22-page Final Report)

2014 - Chowan River Largemouth Bass Response following Hurricane Irene (17-page Final Report)

2014 - Sutton Lake Largemouth Bass Survey 2010-2013 (13-page Final Report)

2014 - Lake Mattamuskeet Sport Fish Survey (27-page Final Report)

2014 - Assessment of Neuse River Catfish Populations (13-page Final Report)

2014 - North Carolina American Shad Habitat Plan (26-page Final Report)

2014 -  Cape Fear River Striped Bass Survey (28-page Final Report)

2014 -  Neuse River Striped Bass Monitoring Programs, Population Dynamics, Recovery Strategies (47-page Final Report)

2014 -  Tar River Striped Bass Fisheries and Monitoring Programs (20-page Final Report)

Related Links

Fisheries Summary Fact Sheets - one-page summaries of past and ongoing research studies, monitoring surveys, etc., conducted by Commission staff on sport fish in NC. Also information on fishing access and general fisheries management.

Other Fish Publications 

Fishes of North Carolina - information on many fish species found in North Carolina

Survey Sampling Technique