The North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries announced on April 16 that the recreational Black Sea Bass fishing season will open May 1 in state waters north of Cape Hatteras, with updated regulations for anglers.
The changes are important for those who fish in these waters, as the rules now differ between state and federal jurisdictions due to delays in federal rulemaking. The division expects federal regulations to align with state guidelines later this year.
For state waters (0-3 nautical miles from shore) north of Cape Hatteras, the minimum size limit is set at 13 inches total length, and each person may keep up to 15 fish per day. The season will run from May 1 through December 31. In contrast, current federal rules for waters beyond three nautical miles require a minimum size of 15 inches, a bag limit of five fish per person per day, and an open season from May 15 to September 8. Regardless of where Black Sea Bass are harvested, anyone possessing them within North Carolina waters must adhere to the state’s size limit.
These regulatory adjustments stem from coastwide changes adopted by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission for both this year and next. According to the announcement, “for North Carolina, north of Cape Hatteras in 2026, the season is 23 days longer than in 2025.” Looking ahead to next year, “in 2027, the season will open on April 1,” making it “53 days longer than in 2025.” The recreational Black Sea Bass fishery north of Cape Hatteras is managed by both the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council and Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission.
South of Cape Hatteras, different management applies under the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council: a minimum size limit remains at thirteen inches total length; each angler can retain seven fish daily; and while seasons begin every April first and close when quotas are met—the current southern season remains open.
More details about these updates can be found by consulting Proclamation FF-24-2026 for areas north or Proclamation FF-21-2026 for areas south at Fisheries Management Proclamations | NC DEQ. For further information or clarification regarding these regulations or future developments expected later this year as federal alignment occurs, contact Chris Batsavage at (252)241-2995 or Chris.Batsavage@deq.nc.gov.
