The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission will implement Delayed Harvest Trout Waters regulations on 34 trout waters beginning October 1st. Under Delayed Harvest Trout Waters regulations, no trout may be harvested or possessed from identified waters between October 1, 2024 and one half-hour after sunset on June 6, 2025. No natural bait may be possessed, and anglers can fish only with artificial lures with one single hook.
Wildlife Resources Commission staff stock Delayed Harvest Trout Waters from fall through spring with high densities of trout to increase anglers’ chances of catching fish. Delayed Harvest Trout Waters, posted with diamond-shaped, black-and-white signs, are popular fishing destinations for anglers who enjoy catch-and-release trout fishing.
Mitchell County waters affected are Cane Creek from NC226 bridge to Stat Road 1189 bridge and North Toe River from UDS 19E bridge to NC 226 bridge. In Yancey County, the Cane River from Blackberry Ridge Road to downstream boundary of Cane River County Park.
individual mountain trout waters
Photo courtesy NC Wildlife
