MOREHEAD CITY – The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries announced Wednesday that it will close coastal and joint waters in North Carolina to both commercial and recreational spotted seatrout, or speckled trout, harvest effective 5 p.m. Friday, Jan. 24, because of widespread cold stuns.
Cold stuns are natural events that occur when there is a sudden drop in water temperature or prolonged periods of cold weather that make fish sluggish or die. Others fall prey to birds and other predators, according to the division, which cited studies that suggest that cold stuns can have a significant impact on spotted seatrout populations.
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The closure will last until at least mid-June.
The division said it had confirmed significant spotted seatrout cold stuns, and water temperatures recorded by the division’s monitoring program have exceeded temperature triggers in seven water bodies from the Little Alligator River to the Morehead City area.
The division said it was still receiving and verifying more cold stun reports and collecting associated environmental data. “These efforts will continue regardless of the closure so the division can capture the magnitude of the cold stun event to evaluate management in order to protect the stock,” the division said.
Under the N.C. Spotted Seatrout Fishery Management Plan adaptive management, if a significant cold stun event occurs, the Division of Marine Fisheries will close all spotted seatrout harvests until the spring.
The intent of the closure is to allow the surviving fish a chance to spawn before harvest reopens. Peak spawning occurs from May through June.
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The spotted seatrout season will remain closed until June 15 or the date adopted in Amendment 1 to the Spotted Seatrout Fishery Management Plan at the February Marine Fisheries Commission business meeting, when it will reopen by proclamation.
Commercial seafood dealers have until 5 p.m. Friday, Jan. 31 to sell, offer for sale, transport or otherwise dispose of any unfrozen spotted seatrout that remain in their possession from prior to the closure.
For more specifics on the closure in coastal waters, see FF-11-2025.
The public should continue to report any cold stun events they see in Coastal and Joint waters. Cold stun events can be reported at any time to the N.C. Marine Patrol at 252-515-5507 or during regular business hours to the Division of Marine Fisheries spotted seatrout biologist Lucas Pensinger at 252-515-5638 or Lucas.Pensinger@deq.nc.gov.
When reporting a cold stun, provide the specific location, date, and time the cold stun was observed, along with your contact information.
