The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission is considering closing the recreational harvest of spotted seatrout in inland and joint fishing waters May 1 – June 15.
The commission last week agreed that a temporary rule closing harvest of spotted seatrout by hook-and-line fishing, “will help avoid public confusion” after the state Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries decided to close commercial and recreational spotted seatrout harvest in coastal and joint waters because of widespread cold stun events, according to a release.
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“Because the Wildlife Commission does not have proclamation authority and we have to work through the rulemaking process, the earliest this would be effective is May 1, 2025,” Christian Waters, commission chief deputy director, said in the release. “Anglers concerned about spotted seatrout mortality may want to target other species.”
Related: Division closes spotted seatrout season because of cold
The commission will hold a virtual public hearing at 2 p.m. Feb. 27 about the proposed temporary rule. Pre-registration is required.
A public comment period on the proposed rule will close March 14. Comments may be submitted online through the commissions Proposed Regulations webpage; emailed to regulations@ncwildlife.org; or mailed to: Rule-making Coordinator, 1701 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1701.
