North Carolina offers world-class fishing in diverse settings such as icy mountain streams, sprawling Piedmont reservoirs and rolling coastal rivers. The NCWRC has made finding a fishing hole easy by maintaining Public Fishing Areas (PFA) and Community Fishing Program (CFP) sites. Check out these sites and the mountain trout maps, to find your next fishing spot!
Public Fishing Areas (PFA) have been created throughout the state to provide free fishing opportunities from the banks of North Carolina's lakes, rivers, streams and reservoirs. The Wildlife Resources Commission has enhanced fishing opportunities at PFAs by clearing banks of underbrush, and in some cases, by constructing handicapped-accessible fishing piers, creating graveled or paved parking lots, installing fish attractors, or baiting the areas with grain or fish feed.
Community Fishing Program (CFP) sites are located primarily in city- or county-owned parks, providing urban anglers fishing opportunities in intensively managed bodies of water. Community Fishing Program sites feature solar-powered fish feeders, handicapped-accessible fishing piers (at most CFPs), and periodic stockings of harvestable-sized channel catfish from April through September.
Public Fishing Areas (PFA) have been created throughout the state to provide free fishing opportunities from the banks of North Carolina's lakes, rivers, streams and reservoirs. The Wildlife Resources Commission has enhanced fishing opportunities at PFAs by clearing banks of underbrush, and in some cases, by constructing handicapped-accessible fishing piers, creating graveled or paved parking lots, installing fish attractors, or baiting the areas with grain or fish feed.
Community Fishing Program (CFP) sites are located primarily in city- or county-owned parks, providing urban anglers fishing opportunities in intensively managed bodies of water. Community Fishing Program sites feature solar-powered fish feeders, handicapped-accessible fishing piers (at most CFPs), and periodic stockings of harvestable-sized channel catfish from April through September.
North Carolina Designated Public Mountain Trout WatersThese maps are provided to give anglers a guide to fishing regulations in effect on specific streams. They also provide locations of all waters open to public trout fishing. Designated waters are shown in thick colored lines that correspond to colors of existing signs conspicuously posted at major access areas to trout waters. Undesignated waters are shown as thin light blue lines. As an additional guide, game lands boundaries are also displayed. Please consult the current NC Hunting, Trapping and Fishing Regulations Digest or see the trout regulations for further information. Also see Fishing News.
Coldwater Stocking by County
Coldwater Weekly Stocking Update
Warmwater Stocking List
Community Fishing Program Stocking List
Stocking your lake or pond
Fish Stocking Permit: Required for stocking fish, mollusks or crustaceans in inland, public fishing waters (public freshwaters).
How does the Wildlife Commission make decisions about stocking?
Fishing Seasons
