Wildlife Resources Commission to consider spring speckled trout closure for inland/joint waters
The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission will consider closing the recreational harvest by hook-and-line of speckled trout in inland and joint fishing waters from May 1 through June 15, 2025.
Enacting a temporary rule will help avoid public confusion given the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries recent proclamation to close through June 15 both commercial and recreational spotted seatrout harvest in coastal and joint waters due to widespread cold stun events, according to a press release.
“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,” said Chief Deputy Director Christian Waters. “Anglers concerned about spotted seatrout mortality may want to target other species.”
The Marine Fisheries Commission, a nine-member panel appointed by the governor, covers the Atlantic Ocean, and the coastal sounds and rivers up to a certain geographic point.
The jurisdiction of the Wildlife Resources Commission, which has 19 members that are appointed by the governor and the General Assembly, includes parts of those same coastal sounds and rivers, known as joint waters, along with all inland waterways.
