ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) will implement Delayed Harvest Trout Waters regulations on 33 streams starting Oct. 1.
Under the regulations, anglers may catch and release trout only between Oct. 1 and June 5, 2026. Fishing is restricted to artificial lures with a single hook, and no natural bait may be possessed. NCWRC defines artificial lures as lures that do not contain or have been treated with substances that attract fish by taste or smell.
NCWRC staff stock Delayed Harvest Trout Waters from fall through spring with high densities of trout to improve anglers’ chances of catching fish. The designated waters, marked with diamond-shaped black-and-white signs, are popular with catch-and-release enthusiasts.
Stocking locations may differ from past years because of damage from Tropical Storm Helene, which affected access to streams and the agency’s stocking trucks.
“The changes are minimal when you take into consideration the devastation the storm caused to Western North Carolina,” Doug Besler, Western Regional Fishery Supervisor, said in a news release. “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 are updated on the NCWRC website as debris cleanup continues.
The storm also caused significant damage to the Armstrong State Fish Hatchery in McDowell County. NCWRC had planned to use Armstrong to offset a January 2025 shutdown of the Bobby N. Setzer State Fish Hatchery for renovations. That project has been delayed while Armstrong repairs continue. Armstrong Hatchery is expected to be fully operational by mid-to-late October, and Setzer renovations are scheduled to begin in December, with completion anticipated in approximately two years. Both hatcheries play a key role 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,” Besler said in the news release. “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.”
For more information on trout fishing and stocking, click here.