Summer Flounder

Season in Charleston

SCDNR statewide: less abundant in SC than southern flounder, may overwinter in estuaries or deeper nearshore water, spawns offshore November to February, returns inshore in spring. (Our inference)

Season by region

Where to find them

Jetty walls, inlet mouths and nearshore reefs; casts with the current along the rocks.

On the bottom along jetty walls, inlet edges and trough edges.

What to look for

Five large eyespots on the back half of the body tell it from southern flounder (no distinct spots) and Gulf flounder (three spots).

What to throw

Bucktail or jighead with a 4 to 5 in paddle tail1/2 to 1 oz, 4 to 5 in tail. Slow hops along the bottom: lift, drop, let it touch, repeat.

Jighead with a scented soft-plastic shrimp or mullet (Gulp style)1/4 to 1/2 oz, 3 to 4 in. Slow drag and hop on the bottom with pauses; scent does the work.

Sand eel teaser (dropper ahead of a plug)Weightless; the plug behind it gives casting weight oz, Small sand eel or spearing imitation: fly, Red Gill or soft plastic. Fished with the plug; slow.

Bait

Live mud minnows (spring), Live finger mullet (as water warms). Carolina rig: 3/4 to 1 1/2 oz egg sinker, about 12 in leader, No. 2 to 1/0 hook; let the current move it.

Leader

About 12 in of leader on a Carolina rig.

Common mistakes

• Setting the hook too fast on live bait
• Reeling the bait along instead of letting the current move it

Landing

Net it; do not lift a flounder by the line.

Handling

• Sharp teeth

Use pliers to unhook.

Keep or release

16 in TL minimum, 5 per person per day (10 per boat), shared with southern and Gulf flounder. North Carolina rules apply north of the state line.

Recipes for summer flounder

Typical: About 15 in, 1.5 lb. Large: unknown. SC record 3 lb 8 oz (1982, as SCDNR lists it).

South Carolina limits

• Minimum: 16 in TL
• Maximum: none
• Bag: 5 per person per day
• Boat: 10 per boat per day
• Season: Open year-round
• In effect since July 1, 2021
• North Carolina rules apply north of the state line (Little River / Hog Inlet area)
• Covers southern, summer and Gulf flounder

Last checked 2026-10-11. A summary, not legal advice; the official rules win. SC Department of Natural Resources fishing regulations.

Sources

• SCDNR species profile: summer flounder (Official source)
• NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-NE-151: summer flounder essential fish habitat (Official source)
• SC finfish size and catch limits 2026-2027 (eRegulations, linked from SCDNR), last updated Aug 11, 2026 (Official source)

All the fish of Charleston