Archived Outdoors

Trout waters to reopen

Trout waters to reopen

About 900 miles of Hatchery Supported Trout Waters will open to anglers at 7 a.m. Saturday, April 4. 

The waters closed Feb. 29 for stocking, and stocking will continue in certain streams through August. Over that six-month period, nearly 767,000 trout will be added to the water, 96 percent of which will average 10 inches in length. The other 4 percent exceed 14 inches. 

Anglers can harvest a maximum of seven trout per day, with no minimum size limits or bait restriction. While all Hatchery Supported Trout Waters are open to public fishing, many of those miles are privately owned. The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission urges anglers to respect the property they are fishing on, as landowners can take away access if they feel their property is being misused. 

To help anglers plan fishing trips in advance, the full stocking schedule is posted at www.ncwildlife.org/portals/0/fishing/documents/2019fishingdocuments/trout-schedule-2020.pdf

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