Thread: White Perch on Harris

Originally Posted by gobbler

white perch are not a game fish and you can keep all you want, and please do!

Did not know that! Now I can throw a serious fish fry for the neighbors, the same ones that think Harris fish should be glowing or something :D

Not sure that is correct. I believed that was the case until I looked at the 2018-2019 regs. See below. This was taken from page 26. White perch (in inland waters) are a game fish.

Inland Game Fish
The following fishes are designated as inland
game fish:
• Black bass (largemouth, smallmouth and
spotted)
• Crappie (white and black)
• Sunfish
»» Bluegill
»» Redbreast sunfish (robin)
»» Redear sunfish (shellcracker)
»» Pumpkinseed
»» Warmouth
»» Green sunfish
»» Roanoke bass
»» Rock bass
»» Flier
»» All other species of the family Centrarchidae
• Mountain trout (including but not limited to
brook, brown and rainbow trout)
• Kokanee salmon
• Walleye
• Sauger
• Pickerel (chain or “jack”, and redfin)
• Muskellunge
• White bass, in inland waters
• Bodie bass (striped bass hybrid), in inland
waters
• Striped bass, in inland waters
• Shad (American and hickory), in inland waters
• White perch, in inland waters
• Yellow perch, in inland waters
• Spotted sea trout, in inland waters
• Flounder, in inland waters
• Red drum (channel bass, red fish and puppy
drum), in inland waters

We'll need to get an interpretation of the rules. I've heard all along that for lakes like Jordan, Harris, High Rock, etc., white perch are an invasive species. Along the coastal waters, it is a different story. They are native to those waters. Let's see if we can get someone at Wildlife to help us out.

I was under a similar impression, until I saw that in the Regs. Should clarify if there are inland waters that are exceptions.

This was under manner of taking in the regs:

White perch may be taken when captured in a cast net being used to collect nongame fishes in all impounded waters west of I-95 and in the Tar River Reservoir (Nash Co.) except in waters in and west of Haywood, Buncombe and Rutherford counties where it is unlawful to possess, transport or release live White perch.


Not sure if Harris is defined as impounded waters but thought I would post.

Harris is an impounded water, not considered inland waters. It is encouraged by NC Wildlife that you remove all white perch caught in both Harris and Jordan as they're an invasive species. As well as other lakes.

Originally Posted by Allsop

This was under manner of taking in the regs:

White perch may be taken when captured in a cast net being used to collect nongame fishes in all impounded waters west of I-95 and in the Tar River Reservoir (Nash Co.) except in waters in and west of Haywood, Buncombe and Rutherford counties where it is unlawful to possess, transport or release live White perch.


Not sure if Harris is defined as impounded waters but thought I would post.

Thanks. I think that clarifies things!

Anyone interested in a white perch tourney? Prizes for biggest, smallest, and total weight. All legal catch methods would be encouraged.
TW