North Carolina delays Delayed Harvest trout stocking until November after hatchery losses

North Carolina mountain trout anglers will wait longer for fall Delayed Harvest stockings. The Wildlife Resources Commission said it will hold Delayed Harvest Trout Waters stockings until November after an unusually hot summer, ongoing drought, and Hurricane Helene damage drove lethal water temperatures into mountain hatcheries and cut available fish.

Staff estimate about 70% of catchable-size trout at Armstrong State Fish Hatchery have been lost since June. Armstrong is the primary state trout hatchery while Bobby N. Setzer State Fish Hatchery stays closed for renovations through late 2027. NCWRC had already warned that only about 35% of normal stocking numbers would be available during the Setzer rebuild under ideal conditions; managers say this summer was far from ideal. Private hatchery purchases that helped spring stocking were largely unavailable for fall.

Delayed Harvest rules still apply Oct. 1, 2026, through June 5, 2027: catch-and-release only, artificial lures with a single hook, and no natural bait in possession. November stocking numbers will be set after an October hatchery census. Access and stocking points may differ from past years where Helene damage remains.

This is a The Gillnet news desk summary, not a reprint.

Source: N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission press release via Wise News Network — Fall 2026 mountain trout stockings adjusted (Sept. 23, 2026).