Effective Thursday, June 16, 2011, new regulations will apply to spotted seatrout (speckled trout) for recreational anglers, according to a recent proclamation by Dr. Louis Daniel, Executive Director of the NC Division of Marine Fisheries.
Under the new regulations, speckled trout must be at least 14 inches in total length, with a bag limit of six trout per person per day. Of the six, no more than two trout may be longer than 24 inches in total length.
The new regulations end a possession moratorium on speckled trout harvest by recreational anglers that was put into effect earlier this year, in the wake of widespread reports of cold-stunned trout last winter.