The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission will implement delayed harvest trout waters regulations on 33 trout waters beginning Oct. 1.
Anglers can only catch-and-release trout between Oct. 1 and June 5, 2026. They can’t use natural bait and may fish only with artificial lures with one single hook.
NCWRC staff stock delayed harvest trout waters from fall through spring to increase anglers’ chances of catching trout. Those waters are posted with diamond-shaped, black-and-white signs, and are popular fishing destinations.
Officials said that stocking locations along streams may be different than in the past due to hurricane damage impacting the stocking truck and angler access.
“The changes are minimal when you take into consideration the devastation the storm caused to Western North Carolina,” said Western Regional Fishery Supervisor Doug Besler. “The storm made considerable alterations to some of the landscape where trout fishing occurs. Therefore, we will not stock areas that are still either closed, or dangerous to fish due to access or major habitat changes.”
Stream closures from Helene while debris cleanup continues are updated on NCWRC’s website.
The storm also caused major damage to one of NCWRC’s fish hatcheries, the Armstrong State Fish Hatchery in McDowell County. NCWRC had planned to use Armstrong to offset a scheduled January 2025 shutdown of the Bobby N. Setzer State Fish Hatchery for a major renovation. That project had to be paused while staff work to resume operations at Armstrong. Armstrong Hatchery is expected to be repaired and fully operational by mid to late October, and renovations to Setzer are expected to begin by December of this year. It will take approximately two years to complete the Setzer renovation. Both hatcheries are instrumental in the agency’s trout stocking program.
“Trout fishing in North Carolina’s western region is not only a popular sport. It has a $1.38 billion impact to our economy and supports thousands of jobs,” said Besler. “During the Setzer renovation, we will continue to make trout management a priority and are actively working to reduce impacts to anglers to ensure trout fishing will robustly continue in North Carolina for the near future and for future generations.”
