North Carolina Fishing

Fishing License

Who needs a license
Free Fishing Days (No license required)

Laws & Regulations

Educate yourself on North Carolina’s fishing laws and regulations to ensure you stay legal and avoid costly fines.

Largemouth Bass

Largemouth bass are the most targeted species for freshwater anglers. They can be found in every state other than Alaska. They are the largest species of bass.

Learn more about largemouth bass

Smallmouth Bass

Smallmouth bass are the most aggressive bass which makes fishing for them a ton fun. They have a ton of fight which makes up for their smaller sizes. Even though they are smaller than largemouth they still can get pretty big.

Learn more about smallmouth bass

Striped Bass

Striped bass started out as saltwater fish but were added to freshwater where they survived and adapted. They are a schooling fish, so if you catch one it is very likely there are more around.

Hybrid Striped Bass

• Hybrid mix of striped and white bass
• Broken horizontal strips on body
• Two separate tooth patches on back of tongue

Learn more about hybrid striped bass

White Bass

• Silver-white to pale green color
• Dark back, with white sides and belly
• narrow dark stripes through the length of their sides
• White bass look like shorter versions of striped bass.

Learn more about white bass

Blue Catfish

Blue catfish have a flat dorsal fin and forked tail. They have smooth scaleless skin with a light blue body and white belly. They have four pairs of whisker-like barbels.

Blue catfish can grow up to 5ft long and more than 100 lbs. The average size you see is 1-2ft long.

Learn more about blue catfish

Channel Catfish

Channel catfish have a slender scaleless body with a forked tail. They have an olive green to light grey color body with small black spots along their body.

Channel catfish can grow up to 52 inches long and 60lbs. The average size you will see is 1-3ft long and 1-15lbs.

Learn more about channel catfish

Flathead Catfish

Flathead catfish have a flathead and a smooth scaleless body. They have a pale yellow to light brown colored body with a cream belly.

Flathead catfish can grow up to 3-ft long and weight 123lb. The average size you will see is 10-15lbs.

Learn more about flathead catfish

Brown Bullhead Catfish

• Olive to yellowish brown body
• Dark brown spots throughout body
• Four pairs of dark barbels
• Squared tail
• Sharp spines on dorsal and pectoral fins

Black Crappie

Black crappie have white bodies with a dark green and black back. Throughout their bodies they have black and brown spots.

World Record: 5 lb 7 oz – 19.25 inches long

White Crappie

White crappie have a white to silver body with a dark green back. They have blotches that make vertical bars across their sides.

World Record: 5 lb 3 oz – 21 inches long

Bluegill

• Large, deep bodied sunfish with a small mouth
• Sides are dark bluish-green in color with vertical bars throughout their body
• They have a large dark spot at the rear of the soft dorsal fin
• Their belly is deep orange to rust color
• Adults can grow to 16 in. but usually reach 6-11 in.

Learn more about bluegill

Green Sunfish

• Large, robust sunfish with a large mouth
• Blue irregular stripes of color on the sides of their head
• Large black spot at the rear of their soft dorsal fin
• Adults can grow to 12 in. but usually reach 8-10 in.

Learn more about green sunfish

Redear Sunfish

• Large, deep bodied sunfish with a small mouth with long, pointed snout and small mouth
• Adult males have a red margin on the gill cover flap while females have a light orange flap
• Adults can grow to 15 in. but usually reach 8-11 in.

Learn more about redear sunfish

Warmouth

• Medium-sized, robust sunfish with a large head and mouth
• Dark olive to grey colors with brownish sides and yellow markings
• Dark red-brown lines flowing from the back of their eye
• Adults can grow to 12 in. but most are less than 10 in.

Learn more about warmouth

Rock Bass

• Dark green or brown color with brassy yellow flecks
• 4-5 wide dark saddles over the back and down the sides
• Often called “redeye” or “goggleye” due to its large, deep red eyes
• Has 5 or 6 spines in their anal fin
• Adults can grow to 17 inches but fish exceeding 12 inches are rare

Learn more about rock bass

Pumpkinseed

• Molted blue, orange, yellow, and olive green coloring
• Wavy blue lines on cheeks
• Orange belly
• Black earflaps with red or orange boarder
• 10 spines on the front of dorsal fin with a rounded back

Learn more about pumpkinseed

Walleye (Sander canadensis)

• Olive back that gradients down to gold side
• 5 dark bars along sides
• White tip on tail

Learn more about walleye

Yellow Perch

• Yellow to gold coloring
• White belly
• Green to yellow eyes
• 6-8 dark bands along their sides
• Dorsal fin with 12-14 spines and a second dorsal fin with 12-13 soft rays plus 2-3 spines

White Perch

• Silver to greenish body
• White Belly
• Faint lines down their sides
• Lower jaw protrudes beyond upper
• 3 spines on anal fin
• 7 – 10 inches long

Brook Trout (Salmo trutta)

• Worm like markings along back & head
• White edges along fins
• Found in eastern North America, Europe, Argentina, New Zealand, and Australia

Learn more about brook trout

Brown Trout (Salmo trutta)

• Silver & golden brown
• Orange to red spots with silver rings around them
• Found throughout the United States, Europe, Africa, and Western Asia

Learn more about brown trout

Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

• Distinct red pink stripe down their side
• Black spots throughout body
• Square, broad tail

Learn more about rainbow trout

Muskellunge

• Greenish to golden brown coloring on their backs and upper sides
• Long thin body with a flat head and mouth filled with sharp teeth
• 6 to 9 pores on the lower jaw

Learn more about muskie

Common Carp

• Babels in each corner of their mouth
• Olive-brown to reddish-brown with a yellow belly
• Large and thick scales

Learn more about common carp

Chain Pickerel

• Dark green to yellowish green coloring
• Dark chain-like markings over body
• Large dorsal and anal fins positioned close to the tail
• Common to have dark bar under eye that extends straight down
• Hard bony scaled flap covering gills

Bowfin

• Green and brown coloring on side and back
• Silver to white colored belly
• Black spot surrendered by orange ring on tail
• Paired fins and anal fin are bright green
• Jaw has strong conical teeth