North Carolina inland waters outside the twelve speargun counties

In North Carolina a spear gun is a "special device": 15A NCAC 10C .0401(a) allows nongame fish to be taken from inland fishing waters only by hook and line, grabbling or a special device, .0401(c) confines special devices to the counties and waters with an open season designated in 15A NCAC 10C .0407, and .0402(b)(9) makes a spear gun lawful only where .0407 authorises it. .0407 lists just twelve counties — Alexander, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Cleveland, Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln, McDowell, Mecklenburg, Rutherford and Wilkes — and inside several of them the authorisation is narrower still. Everywhere else in North Carolina's inland fishing waters a spear gun is unlawful. Named carve-outs within the permitted counties: designated public mountain trout waters (Burke, Caldwell, McDowell, Rutherford, Wilkes), Lake James (Burke and McDowell), and Freedom Park Pond and Hornet's Nest Ponds in Mecklenburg County. Where a spear gun is lawful it may take nongame fish only; game fish must be returned unharmed (.0402(d)).