Lane snapperin North Carolina
Lutjanus synagris
The rule in North Carolina
Federal rule (South Atlantic federal waters). North Carolina lists no rule of its own for lane snapper, so the council's rule applies in state waters too.
Counts toward an aggregate limit: 10-snapper aggregate.
Measured as total length (TL): snout to the tip of the tail, with the tail lobes squeezed together.
SAFMC / NOAA SERO 2026· checked Open
Often mistaken for, and their North Carolina rules
Keep the wrong fish and the rule that applies is the other one’s.
| Fish | Size | Bag | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lane snapperThis page. | 8 in total length | 10 per person per day within 10-snapper aggregate | Open year-round |
| White gruntGrunt has blue head stripes, no dark spot.Tell them apart | No size limit | 10 per person per day within 20-fish snapper-grouper aggregate | Open year-round |
How to tell it
Pink with yellow horizontal stripes and a diffuse dark spot below the rear dorsal. More on the lane snapper page: every state’s rule, the records, and how anglers catch it.
Lane snapper in other states
In the app
Point the camera at a lane snapper in North Carolina and this rule is on the screen before you take the picture. No signal needed.
Get the appLane snapper in North Carolina: the questions
What is the size limit for lane snapper in North Carolina?
8 in total length. Measured as total length: snout to the tip of the tail, with the tail lobes squeezed together.
How many lane snapper can you keep in North Carolina?
10 per person per day within 10-snapper aggregate. It counts toward an aggregate: 10-snapper aggregate.
When is lane snapper season in North Carolina?
Open year-round.
How current is this North Carolina lane snapper rule?
Source: SAFMC / NOAA SERO 2026, last checked Sep 16, 2026. A watchman re-reads the agency's pages nightly. Rules change mid-season by proclamation; the official rulebook is the final word.