Winter cold stun events in North Carolina may result in a partial closure of the 2025 speckled trout (spotted seatrout) fishery in the state until June.
In January 2025, the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) issued a reminder urging stakeholders to report any cold stunned spotted seatrout they may see in North Carolina coastal waters.
During the winter, spotted seatrout move to relatively shallow creeks and rivers, where they can be vulnerable to cold stun events. Cold stun events have the potential to occur when there is a sudden drop in temperature or during prolonged periods of cold weather, making fish so sluggish they can be harvested by hand.
Many fish that are stunned die from the cold or fall prey to birds and other predators. Studies suggest that cold stun events can have a significant negative impact on spotted seatrout populations.
Cold Stun Reporting
Spotted seatrout cold stun events can be reported at any time to the N.C. Marine Patrol at 252-515-5507 or during regular business hours to the Division of Marine Fisheries spotted seatrout biologist Lucas Pensinger at 252-515-5638 or Lucas.Pensinger@deq.nc.gov.
When reporting a spotted seatrout cold stun event, DMF urged the public to provide the specific location, date, and time the cold stun was observed, along with contact information.
The N.C. Spotted Seatrout Fishery Management Plan specifies that if a significant cold stun event occurs, the Division of Marine Fisheries will close all spotted seatrout harvest in the affected areas until June. A significant cold stun event is determined by 1) assessing the size and scope of the cold stun, and 2) evaluating water temperatures to determine if triggers of 5 C (41 F) for eight consecutive days or 3 C (37.4 F) during a 24-hour period are met. Data loggers are deployed statewide to continuously measure water temperatures in coastal rivers and creeks that are prone to cold stuns.
2025 Spotted Seatrout Regulations
During its business meeting on February 6, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission voted to notice a temporary rule that would close the recreational harvest of spotted seatrout in inland and joint (by hook-and-line) fishing waters from May 1 through June 15, 2025.
Enacting a temporary rule will help avoid public confusion given a N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) proclamation to close both commercial and recreational spotted seatrout harvest in coastal and joint waters due to widespread cold stun events, which was issued in January.
“Because the Wildlife Commission does not have proclamation authority and we have to work through the rulemaking process, the earliest this would be effective is May 1, 2025,” said Chief Deputy Director Christian Waters. “Anglers concerned about spotted seatrout mortality may want to target other species.”
The NCWRC will hold a virtual public hearing on February 27 at 2 p.m. regarding the temporary rulemaking. Pre-registration is required. The public can register online. Comments can be submitted until the comment period closes on March 14, 2025
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