– There will not be a conflict between federal and state regulations when North Carolina’s recreational season for Black Sea Bass north of Cape Hatteras opens tomorrow (May 1).
The National Marine Fisheries Service today (April 30) published an interim final review in the Federal Register approving and implementing the 2026 and 2027 recreational management measures for Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass that were adopted in December 2025 by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council.
The following provisions apply for both state waters and federal waters 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 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 boards adopted management changes that resulted in a coastwide liberalization of up to 20% for recreational Black Sea Bass in 2026 and 2027. For North Carolina, north of Cape Hatteras, the 2026 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.
This change does not affect the recreational Black Sea Bass fishery south of Cape Hatteras, which is managed by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council. The current regulations south of Cape Hatteras are:
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: 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.