Fish guide
Winter Flounder
Pseudopleuronectes americanus. Also called Flounder, Blackback, Snowshoe.
We picked these fish for Virginia Beach and the Chesapeake Bay mouth, VA, the region closest to Columbus, Ohio, based on the approximate location of your internet connection (IP geolocation, looked up on our own server). It is about 436 miles away; FishOS covers the coast from Maine to Florida and the Gulf of America, and adds regions as they are checked. Pick another region if that is not where you fish.
FishOS has not charted winter flounder in Virginia Beach and the Chesapeake Bay mouth, VA. The regions where it is charted are below.
Season by region
| Long Island | JFMAMJJASOND |
|---|---|
| Maine | JFMAMJJASOND |
| New Hampshire | JFMAMJJASOND |
| North Shore MA | JFMAMJJASOND |
| Cape Cod | JFMAMJJASOND |
| Rhode Island | JFMAMJJASOND |
| Connecticut | JFMAMJJASOND |
| North Jersey | JFMAMJJASOND |
| South Jersey | JFMAMJJASOND |
| Delmarva | JFMAMJJASOND |
Where to find them
Spring in the South Shore and North Shore bays, harbors and creek mouths where the tide moves; party boats out of the bays in April.
On soft bottom in bays and harbors, often buried.
What to look for
Soft bottom in bays and harbors with moving water near channels.
Bait
Blue mussels (early season), Bloodworms, Sandworms. Small-hook bottom rig with a sinker to hold the bait on the bottom..
Leader
NY Sea Grant: 10 to 15 lb mono on a medium spinning rod; heavier where current is strong.
Common mistakes
- Fishing slack water away from the current
- Hooks too large for the small mouth
Landing
Lift it in with a steady pull or a small net.
Handling
Unhook gently; return short fish quickly.
Keep or release
Good eating, but the Southern New England and Mid-Atlantic stock has record-low spawning biomass and is in poor condition (ASMFC), and New York allows only a short spring season. Check the New York rules; releasing fish helps.
Typical: unknown. Large: Sea flounder or snowshoes about 5 lb. NY record 7.22 lb (1997).
Limits
FishOS has not checked the VA limits yet. Check the size, bag and season rules with the Virginia Marine Resources Commission before you keep a fish.
Sources
- NOAA Tech. Memo. NMFS-NE-138: EFH source document, winter flounder (1999) (Official source)
- New York Sea Grant fish profile: Winter Flounder (Cornell, 2001) (Official source)
- NYSDEC Marine Recreational Angler Records Program (Official source)
Is winter flounder worth it today?
The planner rates it for your exact time with the live tide, weather and water temperature.
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