Current Fish Consumption Advice and Advisories in North Carolina

Statewide Advisories
Site-Specific Advisories:: Albemarle Sound
Badin Lake
Brier Creek
Crabtree Creek
Gaston Lake
Lake Crabtree
Lake Fontana
Lake Santeetlah
Little Brier Creek
Mountain Island Lake
Neuse River
Roanoke River
Rocky Branch
Walnut Creek
Welch Creek

Statewide

Pollutant: Mercury

Updated: April 2, 2008

Women of Childbearing Age (15-44 years), Pregnant Women, Nursing Women, and Children under 15:

Do not eat fish high in mercury. For a list of fish high in mercury, see North Carolina's Advice on Eating Fish [English / pdf] [Spanish / pdf].

Eat up to two meals* per week of fish low in mercury. For a list of fish low in mercury, see North Carolina's Advice on Eating Fish [English / pdf] [Spanish / pdf].

All Other Individuals:

Eat no more than one meal* per week of fish high in mercury. For a list of fish high in mercury, see North Carolina's Advice on Eating Fish [English / pdf] [Spanish / pdf].

Eat up to four meals* per week of fish low in mercury. For a list of fish low in mercury, see North Carolina's Advice on Eating Fish [English / pdf] [Spanish / pdf].

*A meal is 6 ounces of uncooked fish for adults, or 2 ounces of uncooked fish for children under 15.

Site-Specific Advisories

Site

Mountain Island Lake in Gaston and Mecklenburg Counties

Pollutant - Mercury, Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)

Date Issued - January, 6, 2011

Advisory

Elevated levels of PCBs have been found in channel catfish; therefore, health officials are recommending that people avoid eating channel catfish in these waters. PCB testing in largemouth bass from Mountain Island Lake was indeterminate; however, previous studies have shown that largemouth bass in all waters of North Carolina have elevated levels of mercury. Pregnant women, nursing women, women who may become pregnant, and children under age 15 should not eat any largemouth bass. To guard against mercury exposure and potential PCB exposure, other people should not eat more than two meals a month of largemouth bass from this lake.

Please also see statewide and regional mercury advisories.

Site

Gaston Lake in Warren, Halifax and Northampton Counties

Pollutant - Mercury

Date Issued - November 18, 2009

Advisory

Elevated levels of mercury may be found in walleye and largemouth bass in these waters. Pregnant women, women who may become pregnant, and children under 15 should avoid eating walleye and largemouth bass from this lake due to high levels of mercury. Other people should eat no more than one to two meals per month of walleye or largemouth bass from this lake.

Please also see statewide and regional mercury advisories.

Site: Badin Lake in Stanly and Montgomery Counties
Pollutant - Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)
Date Issued - February 11, 2009
Advisory: Elevated levels of chemicals called PCBs, along with mercury, may be found in catfish and large mouth bass in these waters. Pregnant women, women who may become pregnant, and children under 15 should avoid eating catfish and large mouth bass from this lake due to high levels of mercury as well as PCBs. Other people should eat no more than one meal per week of catfish and large mouth bass from this lake.; Badin Lake Fish Study Fact Sheet [English] [Spanish](pdf)

Badin Lake Fish Study FAQs [English] [Spanish] (pdf); Please also see statewide and regional mercury advisories.

Site: Lake Santeetlah and Lake Fontana in Western North Carolina
Pollutant - Mercury
Date Issued - 9/10/08
Advisory: Pregnant women, women who may become pregnant, and children under 15 should avoid eating walleye from lakes Santeetlah and Fontana due to high levels of mercury. Other people should limit their consumption of those fish to no more than one meal per week.

Site: Neuse River, Wake County, just below Crabtree Creek to Auburn-Knightdale Road
Pollutant - Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)
Date Issued - 4/2/08
Advisory: Limit consumption of carp and catfish to no more than one meal per month. High levels of chemicals called PCBs may be found in carp and catfish from these waters.

Site: Walnut Creek and Rocky Branch, Wake County, just upstream of the Neuse River
Pollutant - Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)
Date Issued - 4/2/08
Advisory: Limit consumption of carp and catfish to no more than one meal per month and limit consumption of all other fish to no more than one meal per week from these waters. High levels of chemicals called PCBs may be found in these fish.

Site: Crabtree Creek, Wake County , above Lake Crabtree and below Lake Crabtree to where it enters the Neuse River
Pollutant - Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)
Date Issued - 3/31/06
Advisory: Limit consumption of carp, catfish, and largemouth bass from Crabtree Creek to no more than one meal per month. High levels of chemicals called PCBs have been found in carp, catfish, and largemouth bass from these waters.; Crabtree Creek Fish Advisory Fact Sheet [English] [Spanish] (pdf)

Site: Brier Creek, Wake County (downstream of Brier Creek Reservoir)
Lake Crabtree, Wake County
Pollutant - Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)
Date Issued - 5/7/04
Advisories: Brier Creek - Do not eat any fish from Brier Creek. High levels of chemicals called PCBs have been found in the fish. Swimming, boating, and other recreational activities present no known significant health risks from PCBs and are not affected by this advisory. PCB-related risks, if any, from these activities have been shown to be negligible. If future testing reveals new information, then new advice will be given and new signs will be issued.

Lake Crabtree - Do not eat carp or catfish from Lake Crabtree. High levels of chemicals called PCBs have been found in these fish. Limit consumption of all other fish from Lake Crabtree to no more than one meal per month. When in doubt about the fish species, do not eat any of the fish. Swimming, boating, and other recreational activities present no known significant health risks from PCBs and are not affected by this advisory. PCB-related risks, if any, from these activities have been shown to be negligible. If future testing reveals new information, then new advice will be given and new signs will be issued.; Crabtree Creek Fish Advisory Fact Sheet [English] [Spanish] (pdf)

Lake Crabtree Brier Creek Fish Advisory Fact Sheet [English] [Spanish] (pdf)

Note: These advisories are an extension of the fish advisories that were issued upstream along Little Brier Creek and Brier Creek Reservoir in December 2003 (see below).

Site: Little Brier Creek, Wake County (downstream of Brier Creek Parkway), tributaries to Little Brier Creek, and Brier Creek Reservoir
Pollutant - Polychlorinated Biphenyls
Date Issued - 12/8/03
Advisory: Do not eat fish from Little Brier Creek (downstream of Brier Creek Parkway), its tributaries, and Brier Creek Reservoir. Fish from these waters are not safe to eat. High levels of chemicals (PCBs) have been found in the fish.; Lake Crabtree Brier Creek Fish Advisory Fact Sheet [English] [Spanish] (pdf)

Site: Albemarle Sound from Bull Bay to Harvey Point; West to the mouth of the Roanoke River and to the mouth of the Chowan River to the U.S. Highway 17 Bridge (Perquimans, Chowan, Bertie, Washington, and Tyrrell Counties)
Pollutant - Dioxins
Date Issued - 10/01
Advisory: Catfish and carp from these waters may contain low levels of dioxins. Women of childbearing age and children should not eat any catfish or carp from this area until further notice. All other persons should eat no more than one meal per month of catfish and carp from this area. Swimming, boating, and other recreational activities present no known significant health risks and are not affected by this advisory.

Site: Roanoke River from the U. S. Hwy 17 bridge near Williamston to mouth of Albemarle Sound (Martin, Bertie, and Washington Counties)
Pollutant - Dioxins
Date Issued - 10/01
Advisory: Catfish and carp from these waters may contain low levels of dioxins. Women of childbearing age and children should not eat any catfish or carp from this area until further notice. All other persons should eat no more than one meal per month of catfish and carp from this area. Swimming, boating, and other recreational activities present no known significant health risks and are not affected by this advisory.

Site: Welch Creek, the entire creek in Beaufort, Martin, and Washington Counties.
Pollutant - Dioxins
Date Issued - 10/01
Advisory: Catfish and carp from these waters may contain low levels of dioxins. Women of childbearing age and children should not eat any catfish or carp from this area until further notice. All other persons should eat no more than one meal per month of catfish and carp from this area. Swimming, boating, and other recreational activities present no known significant health risks and are not affected by this advisory.

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Page last updated on February 10, 2012