Roanoke River Striper Season Extended

File photo

Roanoke River anglers will get a longer opportunity to catch stripers as the “keeper” season has been extended through May 6.

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission announced April 25 the season for harvesting striped bass by hook and line in the Roanoke River Striped Bass Management Area will be extended until 11:59 p.m. May 6.

After that time, all striped bass caught in this area must be released immediately, regardless of condition.

The Roanoke River Striped Bass Management Area encompasses the Roanoke River and its tributaries downstream from the Roanoke Rapids Lake Dam to the mouth of the river at Albemarle Sound and includes the Cashie, Middle and Eastmost rivers.

The striped bass harvest season had been set to close April 30, but because of high river flows and an unusually cool spring, stripers have been late in arriving to the upper reaches of the river.

The daily creel limit for striped bass in the Roanoke River Striped Bass Management Area is two fish per person, the minimum length limit is 18 inches, no striped bass between 22 inches and 27 inches in length may be possessed, and only one fish of the two fish creel limit may be greater than 27 inches in length.

Upstream from the U.S. Hwy. 258 bridge near Scotland Neck, anglers may use only a single barbless hook or a single hook with the barb bent down.

For more information about fishing in public, inland waters, visit the WRC’s Web site, www.ncwildlife.org.