Atlantic Spadefish

Open

Chaetodipterus faber

The NC rulebook, translated for the Banks.

The Short Version

North Carolina puts no size floor on Atlantic Spadefish; measure nothing, but count everything. The daily creel is 20 per person per day, and the fishery is open through the whole calendar year.

Keep Size

No minimum

Any size is legal to keep

SnoutTail tipTotal length

Run the tape from the snout to the far edge of the tail pressed flat together — a pinched tail adds the half inch that decides a citation.

Daily Creel

20 per person per day

What one angler may take per day

Counts are per person unless the rule says "per boat," and they aggregate across everywhere you fished that day — sound, surf, and ocean all land in the same tally.

Season Window

Year-round

When harvest is legal

Open through the year unless an emergency closure posts.

Where It Stands

Open

Harvest is legal; emergency in-season shutdowns are rare but do happen — glance at the DMF proclamations page anyway.

Spades on the Tower Marks

Spadefish stack on the tower and wreck marks off Oregon Inlet in June, where they hang in schools in the upper water column over structure. They are a chum-and-small-bait fish, and the 20-fish creel reflects how thick the schools get once you find one.

Small pieces of clam or shrimp on light jigheads are the local standard. Spades fight hard on light tackle and turn up around channel markers and buoys as well, so any vertical structure inshore is worth a look. They are not a top table fish, but they are excellent sport on the right gear.

The Fine Print

  • •No size limit.
  • •20 per person per day.
  • •Schooling fish on nearshore reefs, wrecks, tower marks and channel structure, mostly June-October.
  • •Small pieces of clam or shrimp on light jigheads; chumming brings the school up.
Read the full Atlantic Spadefish guide — seasons, baits, and where to catch them →← Back to the Regs TableNC DMF Limits Page ↗

Updated Oct 30, 2026