Winter Flounder

Season in Connecticut

NOAA: inshore spawning in winter and spring; CT spring opener April 1 and a CT survey index below its long-term average (search summaries of ASMFC 2014 and a CT report). Weak chart. (Our inference)

Season by region

Where to find them

Harbors and coves in early spring; numbers are low.

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

The stock is depleted; release is a reasonable choice. Rules are in the regulations file.

Recipes for winter flounder

Typical: unknown. Large: Sea flounder or snowshoes about 5 lb. NY record 7.22 lb (1997).

Limits

FishOS has not checked the CT limits yet. Check the size, bag and season rules with the Connecticut DEEP Marine Fisheries before you keep a fish.

Sources

• NOAA Fisheries: Winter Flounder (Official source)
• 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)

All the fish of Connecticut