RALEIGH — Bladen County’s trout streams will be among the 34 across the state, along with two lakes, classified as Delayed Harvest, to open June 5, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission announced Wednesday.
The trout harvest will end Sept. 30.
Among the trout streams to open in Bladen County are:
• The three locks along the Cape Fear River located near the Cumberland/Bladen line, in Elizabethtown and near the Bladen/Columbus line.
• Cape Fear River at Tory Hole Park in Elizabethtown.
• Cape Fear River in Tar Heel and at Elwells Ferry.
• South River at Sloans Bridge and Ennis Bridge.
From 6 a.m. until 11:59 a.m. on opening day, Delayed Harvest waters are open only to anglers 17 years old and younger. At noon, waters will open to all anglers. During this time, anglers can keep up to seven trout per day — with no gear or bait restrictions and no minimum size limits.
The Wildlife Commission established the youth-only fishing period in the morning of “opening day,” which is always the first Saturday in June, to promote trout fishing among young anglers and to provide special opportunities for young anglers to catch and keep fish.
Delayed Harvest trout waters are posted with diamond-shaped, black-and-white signs. A list of Delayed Harvest trout waters, regulation information and trout maps can be found at ncwildlife.org/trout.
While fishing, anglers are urged to help prevent the spread of aquatic nuisance species like gill lice, whirling disease and didymo, by following these minimal steps:
• CLEAN equipment of all aquatic plants, animals and mud.
• DRAIN water from boats, live wells and equipment.
• DRY equipment thoroughly.
• NEVER MOVE fish, plants or other organisms from one body of water to another.
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