Species guide · Alabama

Southern flounder fishing in Alabama

Paralichthys lethostigma, a bottom species also called flounder, doormat and flatfish. Listed for the Eastern Gulf region. Shoulder season, about 1 more week.

Right now it scores best in North Mobile Bay at 59, one of 4 Alabama bay systems where the Waterlands engine is scoring it.

Season now

Shoulder season

Where it's scoring now All Alabama waters

Season by month

From the Waterlands saltwater species research: when the fish are present and biting, not whether retention is open.

Eastern Gulf

Shoulder season, about 1 more week

Jan: Off season
Feb: Off season
Mar: Shoulder season
Apr: Shoulder season
May: Shoulder season
Jun: Shoulder season
Jul: Shoulder season
Aug: Shoulder season
Sep: Shoulder season
Oct: Peak season
Nov: Peak season
Dec: Off season

Peak: Oct to Nov. In season (shoulder or peak): Mar to Nov.

Research notes, Eastern Gulf region

Fall migration to passes peaks October and November. Florida closes flounder harvest Oct 15 to Nov 30 and Alabama closes November; catch and release and gigging rules vary by state.

Seasons and limits in these notes are background. The regulations below and the regulator’s own page govern.

Where it's scoring now · 4

Alabama bay systems ranked by the Waterlands engine's southern flounder score this hour.

59Good

North Mobile Bay

Best window today 7 PM-12 AM (62) · Best day Wed, Sep 30 at 4 AM (71) · 33 named spots

55Good

Perdido Bay Area

Best window today 6 PM-12 AM (60) · Best day Sun, Sep 20 at 8 AM (67) · 20 named spots

53Good

South Mobile Bay

Best window today 6 PM-12 AM (63) · Best day Wed, Sep 30 at 5 PM (72) · 21 named spots

49Good

Mississippi Sound

Best window today 6 PM-12 AM (61) · Best day Wed, Sep 30 at 5 PM (70) · 53 named spots

How and where it feeds

Water temperature: Feeds from 52°F to 88°F, best between 62°F and 80°F.
Water depth: 1 to 30 ft of water.
Structure: Marsh, flat, pass, inlet, channel, jetty and bridge, in that order of preference.
Tide and current: Prefers outgoing tide and incoming tide, with moderate current.Flounder ambush bait swept past them, so creek mouths, marsh drains and the edges of passes fish best on a falling tide. A rising tide lets them move onto shallow flats and grassy shorelines. Night giggers look for calm, clear water in 1 to 2 feet.
Light: Some lift around dawn and dusk; feeds at night too.
Pressure: Little response to pressure changes.
Wind and sea limits: 15 kt of wind and 2 ft of sea. The Waterlands engine scores hours down as conditions pass them.

Tackle and technique

Flounder lie half buried on soft bottom along marsh edges, creek mouths, dock pilings and the sandy sides of passes, usually in 1 to 15 feet of water. Drag a mud minnow or finger mullet on a Carolina rig, or bump a soft plastic slowly along the bottom, and give the fish a few seconds before setting the hook. In fall the adults stack up at passes and jetties on their way offshore, and many anglers gig them at night in knee-deep water.

Methods: bottom fishing, Carolina rig, drifting, jigging, gigging
Lures: soft plastic on jighead, bucktail jig, scented soft plastic
Bait: mud minnow, finger mullet, live shrimp, mullet strip, croaker

Regulations

ADCNR Marine Resources saltwater regulations Buy a Alabama fishing license License types

Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Marine Resources Division. Synced with ADCNR Marine Resources Sep 18, 2026.

No reviewed southern flounder rule for Alabama is on file yet. Check with ADCNR Marine Resources before you keep one.