Veterans may now fish Mountain Heritage Trout Waters for free

Press release from N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission:

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission established the Mountain Heritage Trout Waters Program in 2008 to promote trout fishing as a heritage tourism activity on trout waters that run through 17 mountain communities in western North Carolina.
Typically, anglers 16 and older must purchase a three-day license or use any valid inland fishing license to fish these waters. However, the North Carolina General Assembly recently passed legislation that as of October 1, veterans are now allowed to fish these waters for free.

The legislation states that a resident or nonresident who served as a member of the Armed Forces and who separated under honorable conditions is exempt from fishing license requirements while fishing in Mountain Heritage Trout Waters. Veterans must always have valid documentation of their service while fishing to be exempt.

When fishing public mountain trout waters classified as Hatchery Supported, anglers may keep up to seven trout per day, per angler, with no bait or lure restrictions and no size limits. The season for Hatchery Supported Trout Waters runs from the first Saturday in April until the last day of February. Hatchery Supported Trout Waters are closed to fishing from March 1 to the first Saturday in April each year.

When fishing on public mountain trout waters classified as Delayed Harvest, anglers must use single-hook artificial lures and cannot harvest or possess any trout from Oct. 1 until the first Saturday of June. At that time waters re-open at 6 a.m. to youth 15 years old and younger under Hatchery Supported regulations, with no bait restriction, no minimum length limit and a 7-trout-per-day creel limit. Waters open to all anglers that same day at noon. Hatchery Supported regulations remain in effect until Oct. 1 each year.

To purchase a Mountain Heritage Trout Waters license, call 1-888-248-6834 or purchase online at ncwildlife.org.

SHARE
About Community Bulletin
Mountain Xpress posts selected news and information of local interest as a public service for our readers. To submit press releases and other community material for possible publication, email news@mountainx.com.

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.