Yellowtail snapperin North Carolina
Ocyurus chrysurus
The rule in North Carolina
Federal rule (South Atlantic federal waters). North Carolina lists no rule of its own for yellowtail 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
North Carolina state record
9 lb 4 oz, Off Calabash, 2019. NCDMF State Saltwater Records · checked 2026-08-22
How to tell it
Yellow racing stripe ending in an all-yellow deeply forked tail. More on the yellowtail snapper page: every state’s rule, the records, and how anglers catch it.
Yellowtail snapper in other states
In the app
Point the camera at a yellowtail snapper in North Carolina and this rule is on the screen before you take the picture. No signal needed.
Get the appYellowtail snapper in North Carolina: the questions
What is the size limit for yellowtail snapper in North Carolina?
12 in total length. Measured as total length: snout to the tip of the tail, with the tail lobes squeezed together.
How many yellowtail 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 yellowtail snapper season in North Carolina?
Open year-round.
What is the North Carolina record yellowtail snapper?
9 lb 4 oz, Off Calabash (2019).
How current is this North Carolina yellowtail 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.