Planehead filefishin North Carolina
Stephanolepis hispida
Also called Foolfish.
The rule in North Carolina
North Carolina’s own rule for planehead filefish in state waters, out to 3 nautical miles.
NC DMF 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Planehead filefishThis page. | No size limit | No bag limit | Open year-round |
| Orange filefishMuch larger, orange-freckled.Tell them apart | No size limit | No bag limit | Open year-round |
| Gray triggerfishTrue trigger — bigger, with a three-spine dorsal lock.Tell them apart | 12 in fork length | 10 per person per day within 20-fish snapper-grouper aggregate | Open year-round |
How to tell it
Palm-sized mottled filefish with a single trigger spine above the eye and sandpaper skin. More on the planehead filefish page: every state’s rule, the records, and how anglers catch it.
Planehead filefish in other states
In the app
Point the camera at a planehead filefish in North Carolina and this rule is on the screen before you take the picture. No signal needed.
Get the appPlanehead filefish in North Carolina: the questions
What is the size limit for planehead filefish in North Carolina?
No size limit.
How many planehead filefish can you keep in North Carolina?
No bag limit.
When is planehead filefish season in North Carolina?
Open year-round.
How current is this North Carolina planehead filefish rule?
Source: NC DMF 2026, last checked Sep 20, 2026. A watchman re-reads the agency's pages nightly. Rules change mid-season by proclamation; the official rulebook is the final word.