The recreational Black Sea Bass fishing season will open May 1 in North Carolina waters north of Cape Hatteras.
The following provisions will apply to state waters (0-3 nautical miles from shore) north of Cape Hatteras:
Size Limit: Minimum 13 inches total length (tip of the snout to the tip of the tail, excluding the filament at the end of the tail)
Bag Limit: 15 fish per person, per day
Season: May 1- Dec. 31
The state regulations currently differ from those in federal waters (3-200 nautical miles from shore) due to delays in the federal rulemaking process that will align regulations in federal waters with those for state waters. The Division anticipates this change will occur later this year.
The following regulations currently apply to federal waters north of Cape Hatteras:
Size Limit: Minimum 15 inches total length
Bag Limit: 5 fish per person, per day
Season: May 15- Sept. 8
Those who possess Black Sea Bass in North Carolina waters must meet the state size limit, regardless of the harvest location.
The recreational Black Sea Bass fishery north of Cape Hatteras is managed by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council and Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. The management changes are the result of a coastwide liberalization of up to 20% for recreational black sea bass regulations adopted by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission for 2026 and 2027. For North Carolina, north of Cape Hatteras in 2026, the season is 23 days longer than in 2025. In 2027, the season will open on April 1, which will be 53 days longer than in 2025.
The recreational Black Sea Bass fishery south of Cape Hatteras is managed by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council. The current regulations south of Cape Hatteras are:
Size Limit: Minimum 13 inches total length
Bag Limit: 7 fish per person per day
Season: Begins April 1 each year and closes when the quota is met. The season is currently open.
For more specific regulations on Black Sea Bass, see Proclamation FF-24-2026 for North of Cape Hatteras or Proclamation FF-21-2026 for South of Cape Hatteras at Fisheries Management Proclamations | NC DEQ.
For more information, contact Chris Batsavage at 252-241-2995 or Chris.Batsavage@deq.nc.gov.