Warmouth across North Carolina
Creel rules, records and waters for warmouth.
- no creel limitdaily creel
- 1 lb, 13 ozrecord
Photo of the species, not of a North Carolina water: Fredlyfish4, CC BY-SA 3.0
About North Carolina warmouth
Warmouth (Lepomis gulosus) is listed among the state’s freshwater species. Anglers may keep no creel limit under NCWRC (all public fishing waters except listed waters); size no size limit.
McLeods Pond RIchmond County gave up the state record of 1 lb, 13 oz in 1976.
NCWRC notes on warmouth
“Similar in appearance to the rock bass and sunfish, the Warmouth has a thick, oblong body, which varies from brassy to dark olive-green. It has broad, irregular dark bars that give it a mottled appearance. It is easily identified by red eyes and a large mouth, which is similar to a bass. Its upper jaw extends to or beyond the middle of the eyes. Three or four conspicuous dark stripes radiate back from the eyes across to the cheek and gill cover. The soft-rayed portions of the dorsal and anal fins are marked with rows of dark spots. The anal fin on the Warmouth has three spines compared to the rock bass which has six anal spines. Warmouths inhabit swamps, marshes, shallow lakes, slow-moving streams and canals with soft, muddy bottoms. They prefer to stay around aquatic vegetation, stumps and snags, and under the banks of streams and ponds. They have more tolerance for muddy water than mos”
“They feed mostly in the morning on crayfish, shrimp, insects and small fishes.”
- Fishing tipsAnglers can use a variety of small artificial baits, as well as worms, small crayfish and minnows.
- Where to fishWarmouths are most prevalent from the middle of the state eastward. They are found from the southern parts of the Catawba and the Yadkin-Pee Dee basins and all of the Lumber, Cape Fear, Roanoke, Neuse, Tar-Pamlico, Chowan, Pasquotank and White Oak river basins. Warmouth have also been found in weste
- AbundanceCommon in shallow reservoirs and slow rivers in the Piedmont and Coastal region of NC. Similar in appearance to the rock bass and sunfish, the Warmouth has a thick, oblong body, which varies from brassy to dark olive-green. It has broad, irregular dark bars that give it a mottled appearance. It is e
Quoted from the NCWRC species profile, checked October 2026.
The warmouth creel
| Agency | Where | Daily creel | Size | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCWRC | All public fishing waters except listed waters | no creel limit | no size limit | No closed season |
| NCWRC | All public waters east of I-95 (except Tar River Reservoir) and listed eastern rivers | 30 a day | no size limit | No closed season |
NCWRC 2026-27 digest and NCDMF proclamations. All North Carolina limits.
The warmouth record
| Category | Weight | Where | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| hook and line by weight | 1 lb, 13 oz | McLeods Pond RIchmond County | 1976 |
NCWRC and NCDMF state records. Angler names left out.
Fish that pair with warmouth
- Largemouth bassfresh
- Smallmouth bassfresh
- Spotted bassfresh
- Alabama bassfresh
- Bartram's bassfresh
- Black crappiefresh
- White crappiefresh
- Bluegillfresh
- Redear sunfishfresh
- Redbreast sunfishfresh
- Pumpkinseedfresh
- Green sunfishfresh
- Flierfresh
- Rock bassfresh
Nearby water from Warmouth, in photos
Photo: gerrydincher, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Indy beetle, CC0 1.0
Photo: Indy beetle, CC0 1.0
Photo: Brian Stansberry, CC BY 4.0
Before you target warmouth
What is the creel limit on warmouth?
no creel limit (All public fishing waters except listed waters), size no size limit.
What is the biggest warmouth caught in North Carolina?
1 lb, 13 oz from McLeods Pond RIchmond County (1976).
Which lakes hold warmouth?
Warmouths are most prevalent from the middle of the state eastward. They are found from the southern parts of the Catawba and the Yadkin-Pee Dee basins and all of the Lumber, Cape Fear, Roanoke, Neuse, Tar-Pamlico, Chowan, Pasquotank and Wh
Are warmouth on the stocking list?
It is not on the 2026 warmwater list.
What is warmouth confused with?
Scientific name Lepomis gulosus.
When does the warmouth season run?
No closed season
Which North Carolina license do I need for warmouth?
Inland waters take an NCWRC inland fishing license from age 16 ($32 resident, $56 nonresident).
Can I hire a trip that targets warmouth?
Every operator appears on the guides page.
Map out a warmouth trip
Each listed water has its own page.