Summer Flounder

Season in Southern NC

FishOS's Myrtle Beach chart for this species (same Carolina beach type, about 60 to 150 miles south) carried north with slightly cooler water: NCEI averages at Wrightsville Beach are 52 to 58 F December to February and 78 to 83 F June to September. NCDMF: summer flounder most abundant from Delaware to Cape Lookout, so this coast is the southern edge of their main range. (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

Good eating. NC has a short, changing flounder season; check NCDMF.

Recipes for summer flounder

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

Limits

FishOS has not checked the NC limits yet. Check the size, bag and season rules with the NC Division of Marine Fisheries before you keep a fish.

Sources

• NC Division of Marine Fisheries: flounder (Gulf, southern, summer) (Official source)
• SCDNR species profile: summer flounder (Official source)
• NOAA NCEI Coastal Water Temperature Guide: monthly average water temperatures, all stations (Official source)
• NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-NE-151: summer flounder essential fish habitat (Official source)

All the fish of Southern NC