Preparations for Trout Season are Underway

The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission has announced that they will be closing 1,000 miles of Hatchery Supported Trout Waters to fishing at 11:59 pm on February 28th and reopening them at 7am on April 1st.

The purpose of the closure is to allow Wildlife Commission staff to stock the designated waters, which are marked by green-and-white signs, in preparation for the opening day of trout season. The Hatchery Supported Trout Waters are stocked annually from March to June, with a goal of stocking approximately 964,000 trout in 2023, 96% of which will be at least 10 inches in length, with the remaining 4% reaching 14 inches or more. Anglers are allowed to harvest a maximum of seven trout per day, without any minimum size limit or bait restriction. The trout waters will remain open until February 29th, 2024. If you're looking for more information on the trout stocking schedule or inland fishing, be sure to check out the Wildlife Commission's website.