North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries Fishery Biologist Beth Burns was headed for a Speckled Trout Advisory Committee meeting in New Bern last week and her topic for the presentation was about how unusually cold water could affect speckled trout. One of her carefully prepared notes had to do with the fact that we fishermen here in North Carolina had “dodged the winter-kill of speckled trout for the past several years.” It’s ironic that practically as she spoke our state was facing what has been described as “the most extended spell of really cold weather that we’ve seen in over a decade.”

While our North Carolina coastal waters have always contained at least some speckled trout (technically they’re named “spotted sea trout”) we’re just barely on the edge of this fish’s northern range. They simply don’t tolerate water temperatures much below 40 degrees F. and with weather like we’ve been having for the past few days keeps going, we could see a massive winter-kill of speckled trout. If cold water at the 40 degree F. mark (or below) catches the fish in shallow water such as we find in most of our Pamlico-Albemarle Estuarine system, the fish go into a stunned state and very often die.

Sudden or prolonged periods of cold water in our area have previously caused fish kills and wiped-out literally millions of speckled trout and other brackish water fishes. When this happens it often takes years of warmer weather before the fish populations recover. We’ve experienced warmer than average water for the past few years and the speckled trout population has “bulked-up” accordingly.

Fishermen from across the state are holding their breath hoping that this really cold weather won’t decimate the wonderful fishing that both recreational and commercial anglers have enjoyed. Even the old-timers across the state have marveled about the quantity and quality of this fishery and it would be heartbreaking to se it damaged.

As of the morning of Thursday, January 7, NCDMF Biologist Beth Burns reports that some limited fish kills had happened in small creeks in the North River area near Core Sound. Records taken by the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries were showing that some 4000 speckled trout were marketed as being winter-killed fish. These were fish that had been killed by the colder water and were legally picked-up and sold by commercial fishermen. No records were available from recreational anglers that may have picked up some of the cold-stunned speckled trout since these fish did not show up on the commercial marketplace.

Some fish other than speckled trout have been reported as being killed by the colder water. A few black and red drum, croakers and menhaden have been seen washed up along shorelines.

Studies from states to the south of our state place the critical temperature for speckled trout at 40 Degrees F. If these conditions are approached gradually then a lot of the trout will migrate into warmer and deeper water where they tend to spend the remainder of the winter. Biologist Burns places the critical temperature for specks in our area at 36 Degrees F.

As of January 7, many of our coastal waters were in the 40 Degree F. range and, if the weather forecasters are correct, temperatures will go even lower. If they remain at that level for a prolonged period, we’re going to see a lot of dead speckled trout along the coast unless they find warmer water to hide in.

Enforcement officers with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission state that fishermen who try to pick up cold-stunned speckled trout (and other game fish in inland waters) most adhere to the law. The law plainly states that, in inland waters, game fish may be taken by “hook and line” only. All size and creel limits (10 fish, 14-inches) apply.

In waters under the jurisdiction of the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries there is no “by hook and line” limitation as to the method of take but all size and bag limits (10 fish, 14–inches) apply for recreational fishermen. Commercial fishermen have no bag limit on speckled trout but size limits (14-inches) apply. It’s notable that no matter what method recreational fishermen use in these waters, a proper saltwater fishing license is required.

In some cases the stunned trout that are picked-up in shallow water aren’t dead but merely stunned. If left alone and the water warm just a few degrees, these fish could survive.

Most of us from the coast remember seeing literally pick-up truck beds loaded with winter-killed speckled trout in past years. These were before the days of strictly enforced size and creel limits of speckled trout.

With the advent of the saltwater fishing license and active conservation measures taken by anglers, those truckloads of dead fish should be a thing of the past.

Properly licensed commercial fishermen still have no creel (bag) limit on speckled trout and this rankles a lot of recreational anglers but, in the case of large numbers of winter-killed fish that could just go to waste if not harvested, keeping those fish could be justified.

If sunny and warmer weather breaks-up this cold spell then the more shallow waters where the bottom is darker will absorb the warming rays of the sun easier and warm even faster. This could save some of the cold-damaged trout. Fishermen are holding their breaths hoping that we get a break in these low temperatures soon.