Spanish mackerel rules in North Carolina

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

From North Carolina south, the state rule matches federal waters: 15 fish at 12 inches fork length. North of that, Virginia through New York use a 14-inch minimum, and New Jersey cuts the bag to 10. Fork length and total length are different measurements on the same fish.

State water or federal water

North Carolina rules apply in state waters, generally out to 3 nautical miles. Spanish mackerel are managed in federal waters by NOAA Fisheries and the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council under the Coastal Migratory Pelagics plan, with ASMFC coordinating state-water rules. The Council lists the federal recreational limit as 15 fish per person per day at 12 inches fork length. SAFMC · Spanish mackerel ↗

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.

All 9 states for spanish mackerel →