On October 1, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) will put Delayed Harvest Trout Waters rules into effect on 34 trout waters.
As per the rules for Delayed Harvest Trout Waters, you can’t catch or keep trout in certain waters from October 1 to 30 minutes after the sun goes down on June 6, 2025. People who fish can only use artificial lures with one hook and can’t have any wild bait.
An artificial bait is a fishing lure that doesn’t have any chemicals in it or has been treated with chemicals that fish find appealing through taste or smell.
From autumn to spring, NCWRC staff stock Delayed Harvest Trout Waters with a lot of trout to improve anglers’ chances of getting fish. Anglers who like catch-and-release trout fishing love to fish in the diamond-shaped, black-and-white signs that mark the Delayed Harvest Trout Waters.
Visit www.ncwildlife.org/fishing/trout-fishing-north-carolina to learn more about trout fishing and feeding.
NOTE : There will be fewer trout stocked by NCWRC in 2025, 2026, and maybe even 2027 because the Bobby N. Setzer State Fish Hatchery is getting a lot of work done on it. The NCWRC will keep the public informed during this important process.
This will eventually make sure that trout fishing will be a popular sport in North Carolina for many years to come. Visit www.ncwildlife.org/setzer to watch a full movie that explains why the hatchery is being fixed up and to keep up with the work that is being done.