Sheepshead regulations will change for both recreational and commercial fisheries beginning March 1….
Sheepshead regulations will change for both recreational and commercial fisheries beginning March 1. The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries is implementing changes because of increases in sheepshead harvest, particularly juvenile fish, in recent years.
Recreational Regulations
(1) Size Limit: 14-inch total length minimum size limit; (2) Bag Limit: Five-fish per person per day
Commercial Regulations
(1) Size Limit: 14-inch total length minimum size limit
(2) Trip Limits: Pound Nets — 1,500 pounds per operation per day; Gigs and Spears — 10 fish per person per day or trip (including trips that occur over more than one calendar day); Other Gears — 300 pounds per trip
Notice that the size limit should no longer be measured as fork length (from the tip of the snout to the fork in the tail). The new regulations require measuring total length (from the tip of the snout to the longest part of the tail when pinched together).
The measurement changes align with regulations for Black Drum, a similar looking species commonly caught alongside Sheepshead. Aligning the measurement point for the two species simplifies regulations for the public.
The Division considered public input provided during the fall public comment period in determining management changes.
The Division will issue a proclamation closer to March 1 to officially implement the new regulations. For more detailed information, visit the Proactive Sheepshead Management webpage on the Division’s website.
There’s more bluefish in the sea! As a result, the bag limit for recreationally caught bluefish will increase on Jan. 1 in North Carolina Coastal Fishing Waters and Joint Fishing Waters.
Private Limit (fishing from shore, pier, private vessel, etc.) will increase to five fish per-person per-day.
For-Hire Limit (charter boats, head boats, guide boats) will increase to seven fish per-person per-day.
The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries implemented the change through Proclamation FF-1-2026 in compliance with the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council/Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission Bluefish Fishery Management Plan.
A 2025 coastwide stock assessment for bluefish determined that overfishing is not occurring and the stock is not overfished. Although the stock has not yet fully rebuilt, it continues to get closer to the federal stock assessment target. The coastwide recreational harvest limit and commercial bluefish quota in 2026 and 2027 are higher based on the stock assessment results. The bag limit increase is a result of the higher recreational harvest limit.
For additional information, see the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council meeting summary.
For questions, contact Chris Batsavage at (252) 241-2995 or Chris.Batsavage@deq.nc.gov.
