Species
Summer Flounder
Paralichthys dentatus · family Paralichthyidae
Live · updated
Locally called "fluke." Flatfish that ambushes bait off sandy and mixed bottom. Drifting bucktails tipped with Gulp! or live minnows through Ocean City and Chincoteague inlets is the classic method.
Preferred conditions
- Water temp
- 58–75°F (ideal 65°F)
- Tide
- outgoing
- Moon
- either
- Depth
- 10–100 ft
- Active months
- May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep
Best summer flounder conditions today
Scarborough State Beach
Block Island
Race Point Beach
Narragansett Bay (Newport)
Ditch Plains Beach
Orient Beach State Park
Gulfport Beach
Pass Christian Beach
Grand Isle State Park
St. Simons Island Beach
Ventnor City
Rocky Neck State Park
Matagorda Beach
Boca Chica Beach
Nauset Beach
Sandy Neck Beach Park
North Hampton State Beach
Salisbury Beach State Reservation
Ponquogue Beach
Montauk Point
Biloxi Beach
Mustang Island State Park
Padre Island National Seashore
Calcasieu Lake (Big Lake)
Folly Beach
Jones Beach State Park
Smith Point County Park
East Beach (Galveston)
Galveston Seawall
Crystal Beach (Bolivar Peninsula)
Surfside Beach (TX)
Port Aransas Beach
Pirates Beach
Galveston Bay
Bay St. Louis Beach
Cape Henlopen State Park
Fenwick Island — Surf Fishing
Slaughter Beach
Fenwick Island State Park
Broadkill Beach
Sherwood Island State Park
Sea Rim State Park
Robert Moses State Park
Fire Island National Seashore — Watch Hill
South Padre Island Beach
Tybee Island Beach
Island Beach State Park
Barnegat Lighthouse State Park
Brigantine
Calf Pasture Beach
Indian River Inlet
Lewes Canal
Delaware Seashore State Park
Cape May
St. Augustine Beach
New Smyrna Beach
Cocoa Beach
Cape Canaveral Beach
Kiptopeke State Park
Cape Charles Town Pier
Rudee Inlet — Virginia Beach
First Landing State Park
Buckroe Beach
Ocean View Beach
Hilton Pier Park
Anderson Park
Sandbridge Beach
False Cape State Park
Wrightsville Beach
Carolina Beach
Kure Beach
Surf City Beach
North Topsail Beach
Holden Beach
Oak Island Beach
Atlantic Beach (NC)
Emerald Isle Beach
Indian Beach
Point Pleasant Beach
Sebastian Inlet State Park
Lake Worth Beach
Deerfield Beach
Pompano Beach
Haulover Beach Park
Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park
Panama City Beach
Orange Beach
Kent Narrows — Public Fishing Pier
Chesapeake Beach — Rod N' Reel Pier
Assateague Island — MD Surf
Ocean City Inlet — North Jetty
Chincoteague NWR — Fishing Access
Assateague State Park
Assateague Island National Seashore
Public Landing Beach
Assawoman State Wildlife Area
Deal Island Wildlife Management Area
Bowers Beach
South Bowers Beach
Port Mahon
Nags Head Beach
Cape Hatteras National Seashore
Ocracoke Beach
Cape Lookout National Seashore
Sandy Hook (Gateway NRA)
Belmar
Manasquan
Myrtle Beach
North Myrtle Beach
Pawleys Island
Garden City Beach
Surfside Beach (SC)
Playland Beach
Sanibel Island Beach
Fort Myers Beach (Lynn Hall Memorial Park)
Naples Beach
Marco Island Beach
Solomons Island Fishing Pier
Point Lookout State Park
Elms Beach Park
Roaring Point Waterfront Park
Tyaskin Wharf
Cove Road Beach
Belle Isle State Park
Smith Point Beach
Woodland Beach Wildlife Area
Augustine Beach
Pensacola Beach
Navarre Beach
Clearwater Beach
St. Pete Beach
Jacksonville Beach
Gulf Shores Public Beach
Dauphin Island Public Beach
Kitts Hummock Beach
Hilton Head Island
Daytona Beach
St. George Island
Fortescue
Destin Beach
Mexico Beach
No locations match that filter.
Regulations by jurisdiction
Maryland (tidal)
Stale: last verified 96 days ago.
tidal bay
- Min size
- 16"
- Creel
- 4
Chesapeake Bay: size minimum steps up from 16 in (Jan 1–May 31) to 17.5 in (Jun 1–Dec 31). Creel is 4/day year-round. Flounder quotas are re-negotiated annually through ASMFC/MAFMC — re-verify before each season.
Source · verified 2026-04-22
Stale: last verified 96 days ago.
atlantic
- Min size
- 16"
- Creel
- 4
Atlantic coast and coastal bays: 16 in (Jan 1–May 31) / 17.5 in (Jun 1–Dec 31), 4 per day. Summer flounder regulations are ASMFC-managed and typically re-set annually; verify before the season.
Source · verified 2026-04-22
Delaware (tidal)
Stale: last verified 96 days ago.
tidal delaware
- Min size
- 16"
- Creel
- 4
Delaware Bay and tidal tributaries: size minimum steps up from 16 in (Jan 1–May 31) to 17.5 in (Jun 1–Dec 31). Creel is 4/day year-round. ASMFC/MAFMC-managed — re-verify annually. Matches the MD minimum exactly.
Source · verified 2026-04-22
Stale: last verified 96 days ago.
atlantic
- Min size
- 16"
- Creel
- 4
Delaware Atlantic Ocean and Inland Bays (Rehoboth, Indian River, Little Assawoman): 16 in (Jan 1–May 31) / 17.5 in (Jun 1–Dec 31), 4 per day. ASMFC-managed.
Source · verified 2026-04-22
Virginia (tidal — VMRC)
Stale: last verified 96 days ago.
tidal bay
- Min size
- 16"
- Creel
- 4
Virginia tidal waters (lower Chesapeake Bay): 16 in (Jan 1–May 31) / 17.5 in (Jun 1–Dec 31), 4 per day. 4VAC20-620. Matches MD and DE coastwide ASMFC allocation, which is re-negotiated annually.
Source · verified 2026-04-22
Stale: last verified 96 days ago.
atlantic
- Min size
- 16"
- Creel
- 4
Virginia Atlantic coast: 16 in (Jan 1–May 31) / 17.5 in (Jun 1–Dec 31), 4 per day. ASMFC-managed; same season step-up as the rest of the mid-Atlantic. Classic VA fluke fisheries: CBBT tunnel islands, Rudee Inlet, Lynnhaven.
Source · verified 2026-04-22
NC
Stale: last verified 59 days ago.
atlantic
- Min size
- 15"
- Creel
- 1
The recreational flounder season is set each year by DMF proclamation and is currently closed. When open, a 15" minimum and 1 fish/day apply.
Source · verified 2026-05-29
NJ
Stale: last verified 59 days ago.
atlantic
- Min size
- 18"
- Creel
- 3
18" minimum, 3 fish/day. Exact season dates are set annually by NJ DEP; the typical spring–early-fall window is shown.
Source · verified 2026-05-29
Stale: last verified 59 days ago.
tidal delaware
- Min size
- 18"
- Creel
- 3
18" minimum, 3 fish/day. Exact season dates are set annually by NJ DEP; the typical spring–early-fall window is shown.
Source · verified 2026-05-29
SC
Stale: last verified 59 days ago.
atlantic
- Min size
- 16"
- Creel
- 5
Southern flounder: 16" minimum, 5/person/day (max 10 per boat).
Source · verified 2026-05-29
NY
Stale: last verified 59 days ago.
atlantic
- Min size
- 19"
- Creel
- 6
19" minimum, 6 fish/day, Apr 1–Dec 31.
Source · verified 2026-05-29
MA
Stale: last verified 59 days ago.
atlantic
- Min size
- 16.5"
- Creel
- 5
16.5" from shore / 17.5" from a boat, 5 fish/day, late May–late Sep.
Source · verified 2026-05-29
RI
Stale: last verified 59 days ago.
atlantic
- Min size
- 19"
- Creel
- 6
19" minimum, 6 fish/day, May 1–Dec 31.
Source · verified 2026-05-29
CT
Stale: last verified 59 days ago.
atlantic
- Min size
- 19"
- Creel
- 3
19–19.5" minimum (17" at enhanced shore sites), 3 fish/day, early May–mid Oct.
Source · verified 2026-05-29
FL
Stale: last verified 59 days ago.
atlantic
- Min size
- 14"
- Creel
- 5
Florida flounder: 14" minimum, 5/person/day. Closed Oct 15–Nov 30.
Source · verified 2026-05-29
Stale: last verified 59 days ago.
gulf
- Min size
- 14"
- Creel
- 5
Florida flounder: 14" minimum, 5/person/day. Closed Oct 15–Nov 30.
Source · verified 2026-05-29
TX
Stale: last verified 59 days ago.
gulf
- Min size
- 15"
- Creel
- 5
Southern flounder: 15" minimum, 5/person/day; bag drops to 2 fish Nov 1–Dec 14 during the fall run.
Source · verified 2026-05-29
AL
Stale: last verified 59 days ago.
gulf
- Min size
- 14"
- Creel
- 5
Southern flounder: 14" minimum, 5/person/day. Closed Nov 1–30.
Source · verified 2026-05-29
MS
Stale: last verified 59 days ago.
gulf
- Min size
- 12"
- Creel
- 10
Southern flounder: 12" minimum, 10/person/day.
Source · verified 2026-05-29
LA
Stale: last verified 59 days ago.
gulf
- Min size
- 12"
- Creel
- 10
Southern flounder: 12" minimum, 10/person/day.
Source · verified 2026-05-29
GA
Stale: last verified 59 days ago.
atlantic
- Min size
- 12"
- Creel
- 15
Flounder: 12" minimum, 15/person/day.
Source · verified 2026-05-29