North Carolina Sounds and Bays for Fishing

41 North Carolina sounds, bays and estuaries with piers, ramps, reefs, DCM access and NCDMF limits.

Photo of Back Bay: Brent Hoard from USA, CC BY 2.0

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The North Carolina coast sound by sound, from Currituck to Shallotte. Each page lists piers, ramps, reefs, DCM access sites and the NCDMF limits for its waters.

A

  • Albemarle Soundsound, coastal waters

B

  • Back Baybay, joint waters
  • Back Soundsound, coastal waters
  • Bogue Soundsound, coastal waters
  • Browns Soundsound, coastal waters
  • Buzzard Baybay, joint waters

C

  • Cedar Island Baybay, coastal waters
  • Chadwick Baybay, coastal waters
  • Core Soundsound, coastal waters
  • Courthouse Baybay, coastal waters
  • Croatan Soundsound, coastal waters
  • Currituck Baybay, joint waters
  • Currituck Soundsound, joint waters

E

  • Everett Baybay, coastal waters

G

  • Greenville Soundsound, coastal waters

H

  • Hatteras Bightbight, coastal waters

J

  • Jarrett Baybay, coastal waters
  • Jones Baybay, coastal waters
  • Juniper Baybay, coastal waters

K

  • Kitty Hawk Baybay, joint waters
  • Knotts Island Baybay, joint waters

L

  • Long Baybay, coastal waters
  • Lookout Bightbight, coastal waters

M

  • Masonboro Soundsound, coastal waters
  • Middle Soundsound, coastal waters
  • Myrtle Grove Soundsound, coastal waters

N

  • Nelson Baybay, coastal waters

P

  • Pamlico Soundsound, coastal waters

R

  • Roanoke Soundsound, coastal waters
  • Rose Baybay, coastal waters

S

  • Shallotte Riverriver estuary, coastal waters
  • Shallotte Soundsound, coastal waters
  • South Riverriver estuary, coastal waters
  • Stones Baybay, coastal waters
  • Stump Soundsound, coastal waters
  • Stumpy Point Baybay, coastal waters
  • Swanquarter Baybay, coastal waters

T

  • Topsail Soundsound, coastal waters
  • Turnagain Baybay, coastal waters

W

  • West Baybay, coastal waters
  • Wysocking Baybay, coastal waters
Pictures

North Carolina waters, pictured

Middlesex, North Carolina
Middlesex
Photo: Indy beetle, CC0 1.0
Momeyer, North Carolina
Momeyer
Photo: Indy beetle, CC0 1.0
Nashville, North Carolina
Nashville
Photo: Nyttend, Public domain
Newland, North Carolina
Newland
Photo: Ihavefoundgrace, CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers

About this list, North Carolina Sounds and Bays for Fishing

How many sounds and bays are covered?

41.

Which license do I need on the sounds?

The CRFL in coastal waters; the inland license or CRFL in joint waters.

Where are the piers?

Each sound page lists piers within 12 miles.

Are reefs listed?

Yes, NCDMF reefs within 25 miles.

Why are some estuaries missing?

Estuaries named like a river are covered on that river page.

Are charters listed?

Yes, by county.

Where is the data from?

NCDMF, NC DCM, NCWRC, Census TIGER and OpenStreetMap.

Is striped bass open on the sounds?

Albemarle waters are closed in 2026; each page names its management area.

More

Other North Carolina reference pages