Last Updated on July 1, 2025 12:22 pm
The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) asks the public to refrain from the illegal practice of moving inland fish, specifically mountain trout, to other mountain water bodies as it can result in altering healthy habitats and negatively impact the agency’s ongoing aquatic conservation efforts.
Staff have been encountering newly introduced trout species into various mountain waterways during routine and post-Helene monitoring.
“We are taking proactive measures to prevent those with the best intentions who may think they are helping by restocking certain creeks and streams by sharing the negative impacts of moving fish,” says NCWRC Coldwater Research Coordinator Jake Rash. “What may seem ‘helpful’ may cause considerable harm, and undo decades of work by the NCWRC and our partners.”
Moving aquatic species to other water bodies can lead to issues with introducing invasive species, also referred to as aquatic nuisance species (ANS).
“Transporting live fish from one water body to another can have irreversible consequences,” says NCWRC’s Inland Fisheries Assistant Chief Rachael Hoch, who leads the agency’s ANS program. “The newly stocked fish may carry parasites or other pathogens that can impact the fish species in those waters.”
North Carolina requires a stocking permit to stock any fish into North Carolina’s public waters.
Rash leads the conservation program for brook trout, which is the only native trout species of the three species of trout found in North Carolina. Due to decades of habitat loss and encroachment of brown trout and rainbow trout, brook trout only occupy a small portion of waters they once called home.
“When rainbow, brown or hatchery-derived brook trout are moved into waters that have or may have our local native brook trout, it can potentially undo or disrupt years of conservation efforts,” said Rash.
NCWRC biologists are working with partners to bring brook trout back to their native waters by using cutting-edge research on genetics and fish populations to help move the right fish to the right places.
NCWRC maintains a robust trout management program and is taking actions to evaluate trout populations across the mountains to identify any potential storm-related impacts.
“Our staff have been monitoring streams and watersheds in Helene’s destructive path to determine its impact to our wild trout,” said Mountain Region Fishery Supervisor Doug Besler. “We are finding trout at locations where they were known to exist before the storm, which is encouraging. And we will continue to sample water bodies in western North Carolina for any long-term impacts that may have occurred due to this storm.”
NCWRC has partnered with Native Fish Coalition and U.S. Forest Service in outreach efforts to inform the public about the dangers of relocating fish. Plans are underway to post signage at various water body access points. NCWRC also has a longstanding relationship with Trout Unlimited to advance trout conservation.
“We are hearing encouraging reports from biologists, guides and our anglers that trout are doing well in many streams,” said Pisgah Chapter of Trout Unlimited President Bruce Jones. “Unfortunately, we are also hearing that some individuals are moving fish from one stream to another, which is not a good idea and unnecessary.”
In 2023, NCWRC published a socio-economic impact research report, which revealed trout fishing has a $1.4 billion impact to the state and supports more than 11,000 jobs. More information about the historical relationship North Carolinians have with mountain trout can be found on the agency’s website.
To report illegal fish stocking or any wildlife violation, call NCWRC Law Enforcement at 800-662-7137 or submit information online.
Learn more about NCWRC’s management, conservation efforts, stocking schedules and other resources on the agency’s Trout Page.
Help protect our valuable trout and other aquatic natural resources by following the Clean, Drain, Dry, Never Move recommendations.
