The recreational striped bass season in the Albemarle Sound Management Area will open for a fall season on Oct. 1 with a daily possession limit of one fish per person per day.

The season will close when allowable landings allocated to the Albemarle Sound Management Area are predicted to be reached or on Dec. 31, whichever comes first.

With reduced allowable landings this year, it is highly likely that the fall recreational season will close before the end of the year. Anglers should check the Division of Marine Fisheries’ Current Proclamations webpage for updates.

The division implemented stricter harvest restrictions beginning Jan. 1 this year for both the commercial and recreational striped bass fisheries in the Albemarle Sound and Roanoke River management areas. The most recent stock assessment for Albemarle-Roanoke striped bass indicated the stock is overfished and overfishing is occurring, based on 2017 landings, the final year of data used in the assessment. A 57% reduction in landings from 2017 is necessary to end overfishing.

A new total allowable landings level of 51,216 pounds, split evenly between the commercial and recreational sectors, was implemented through a Revision to Amendment 1 to the North Carolina Estuarine Striped Bass Fishery Management Plan. The recreational allocation was divided evenly between the Albemarle and Roanoke systems, giving each management area 12,804 pounds, which was then split between the spring and fall fishing seasons for the Albemarle Sound Management Area.

For more specific information on the fall recreational striped bass season regulations in the Albemarle Sound Management Area, see Proclamation FF-52-2021 or contact Nathaniel Hancock in the Division of Marine Fisheries’ Elizabeth City office by email or at 252-381-6000.