North Carolina offers some excellent hunting, fishing and trapping opportunities. If you are a resident or visitor to the state, please visit the link below to ensure that you understand the rules, regulations and other guidelines.
The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) set a hook and line flounder season in rule that is September 1-14, and anglers can harvest 4 fish per day with a minimum size of 15-inches in both joint and inland waters.
The NCWRC hook and line flounder season is applicable in both inland and joint waters. The NCWRC and North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission (NCMFC) have jointly adopted rules (15A NCAC 10C .0106 and 15A NCAC 03Q .0106) that state, “(b) The following inland fishing laws and regulations administered by the Wildlife Resources Commission apply to joint fishing waters and shall be enforced by wildlife officers: (3) all laws and regulations pertaining to hook and line fishing except as hereinafter provided.” This rule clearly gives the NCWRC the authority and responsibility to set hook and line seasons, sizes, and creel limits for fish in joint fishing waters, which it must do through the rulemaking process.
Contrary to some sources, the NCWRC adopted the current season, size, and creel limit in February 2022, and, at the time, these matched the existing season, size, and creel limit as proclaimed by the director of the Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF). The NCWRC rules went into effect March 2023. The NCWRC received a press release on June 28, 2023, notifying us that the MFC and DMF planned to issue a proclamation establishing this year’s flounder season as September 15-29, with a 15-inch minimum size limit, and a 1-fish daily creel. At that time, it was too late for the NCWRC to make changes to its proposed flounder season for 2023, due to the rulemaking timeline established in law.
NCWRC Statement on Flounder Season 2023
Find where inland, joint and coastal waters occur. (Need to zoom in on the map to see lines)
Provides a summary of regulations pertaining to dove hunting.
Only the N.C. General Assembly has the authority to allow fox harvest in a county through passage of a local law.