Cobia rules in North Carolina
Size, bag and season for recreational cobia in North Carolina waters, as published by NC Division of Marine Fisheries.
- Size
- 36" minimum fork length
- Bag
- 1 fish per person per day
- Season
- May 1 – December 31, 2026
Also on the agency page: Private vessels: May 1–Jun 30 max 2 per vessel per day (if 2+ aboard); Jul 1–Dec 31 max 1 per vessel per day. For-hire: max 4 per vessel per day, May 1–Dec 31. Coastal and joint waters.
Stale: this row was last checked Oct 12, 2026, past our 30-day limit. Treat it as history and go to the agency page.
Rules change in season, sometimes by emergency notice. This page summarizes the agency page on the date shown. If this summary and the agency page disagree, the agency page controls.
What to know before you keep one
Cobia are the species on this board with real closed seasons: Maryland and Virginia keep a June 15 – September 20 window, North Carolina opens May 1, Georgia closes November through February, and South Carolina closes its southern state waters in May. North of North Carolina the minimum is 43 inches total length; from North Carolina south it is 36 inches fork length. Vessel limits often bind before the per-person bag does.
State water or federal water
North Carolina rules apply in state waters, generally out to 3 nautical miles. Atlantic-group cobia (Georgia through New York) have been managed by ASMFC since 2019, with NOAA Fisheries applying matching measures in federal waters. Cobia off Florida's east coast belong to the Gulf migratory group; the South Atlantic Council lists the federal limit there as 1 per person, 2 per vessel, 36 inches fork length. ASMFC · cobia ↗
Across the state line
Rules for the same fish change at the state line. If you run across it or land in the next state, those rules apply.
| State | Size | Bag | Status as of Oct 13, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maryland | 43" minimum total length | 1 fish per person per day, or up to 2 per vessel per day if 2 or more people aboard | Catch and release onlyas of Oct 13 |
| Virginia | 43" minimum total length | 1 fish per person per day, 2 per vessel per day; whichever is more restrictive | Closedas of Oct 13 |
| North Carolina | 36" minimum fork length | 1 fish per person per day | Openas of Oct 13 |
| South Carolina | 36" minimum fork length | 1 fish per person per day | Openas of Oct 13 |
| Georgia | 36" minimum fork length | 1 fish per angler per day, maximum 6 per boat | Openas of Oct 13 · Open through Oct 31 |