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Southern flounderRetention openBay · Florida
Indian River Lagoon
28.26°N · 80.61°W · Bay · Volusia-Brevard County Line to Sebastian Inlet 0-20 nm
Species here · tap to switch
- Best of all
- Atlantic croaker71
- Spot69
- Common snook68
- Atlantic tarpon65
- Crevalle jack64
- Gray snapper61
- Red drum61
- Southern flounder61
- King mackerel60
- Summer flounder60
- Spotted seatrout55
- Weakfish55
- Black drum53
- Red snapper52
- Black sea bass51
- Florida pompano50
- Gray triggerfish50
- Spanish mackerel49
- Cobia48
- Little tunny48
- Red grouper48
- Sheepshead47
- Mahi-mahi45
- Greater amberjack44
- Wahoo42
- Bluefish35
- Sailfish35
- Yellowfin tuna35
- Gag grouper20
Best score today · 9 AM · Southern flounder
- Now
- 614 AM EDT
- Best window
- 2 PM-12 AMEbb tide
- Tide now
- Flooding3.4 ft ▲
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Indian River Lagoon scores 75+
Checked every morning against the 14-day forecast. Free by push and email.
14-day forecast
Best days to fish
24-hour conditions · rolling from now
Conditions · 4 AM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS + Open-Meteo Marine
67Tide: FloodingCurrent: WeakWind & pressure
ECMWF
89Wind: 2 kt WSWPressure: RisingWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
69Water temp: 83°F, warmLight: NightSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 0.7 ftSeason & habitat · Southern flounder
Species seasonality
75Season: PeakHabitat: Poor fitDepth: In rangeRegulations: Retention open
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
Atlantic state waters (Nassau through Miami-Dade counties)
Southern flounder
Retention open- Daily limit
- 5 per day
- Possession
- Not published
- Size
- Minimum 14 in, total length
- Season
- No closed season on file
- Annual quota
- Not published
- Changes
- Closed from Oct 15
- Other
- Same rules for Gulf, southern, summer and fringed flounder, in state and federal waters. Special rules apply in Biscayne National Park. Spears, gigs, hook and line, seine or cast net. No multiple hooks with natural bait. No snatching. Closed every October 15 through November 30.
From FWC Recreational Regulations: Flounder, read Sep 13
Other species here
- Atlantic croaker Retention open (50 per day)
- Black drum Retention open (5 per day)
- Bluefish Retention open (3 per day)
- Bonefish Catch & release (No retention)
- Cobia Retention open (1 per day)
- Crevalle jack Retention open
- Florida pompano Retention open (6 per day)
- Gag grouper Closed (No retention)
- Gray snapper Retention open (5 per day (10 snapper combined))
- Gray triggerfish Retention open (10 per day)
- Greater amberjack Retention open (1 per day)
- King mackerel Retention open (2 per day)
- Mahi-mahi Retention open (5 per day)
- Permit Retention open (2 per day)
- Red drum Catch & release (No retention)
- Red grouper Retention open (3 per day (3 Atlantic grouper and tilefish combined))
- Red snapper Check regulations
- Sailfish Retention open (1 per day (1 billfish combined))
- Sheepshead Retention open (8 per day)
- Snook Retention open (1 per day)
- Spanish mackerel Retention open (15 per day)
- Spot Retention open (50 per day)
- Spotted seatrout Retention open (2 per day)
- Summer flounder Retention open (5 per day)
- Tarpon Catch & release (No retention)
- Wahoo Retention open (2 per day)
Source: FWC · synced yesterday
Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed
When Southern flounder is best here
Peak season for Southern flounder · 8 more weeks at peak
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
Indian River Lagoon
- Depth
- 9-10 ftFlat bottom
- Structure
- Bay · Outer · Semi-exposedBay · flat bottom
- Season
- Peak seasonSouthern flounder
NOAA NCEI DEM, sampled Sep 13 on a 3.4 m grid. Depths are feet below NAVD 88, not chart datum (MLLW), so they can differ from a chart by a few feet. Not for navigation.
About this spot
Fishing Indian River Lagoon
Indian River Lagoon is a bay in Volusia-Brevard County Line to Sebastian Inlet 0-20 nm, Florida. Depth is 9-10 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads bay, outer water and semi-exposed.
Waterlands scores 29 species here; the best right now are Atlantic croaker, spot and common snook. It is peak season now for Atlantic croaker, spot, common snook and Atlantic tarpon, and shoulder season for weakfish, black drum, red snapper and black sea bass. Atlantic croaker peak from August through October. Spot peak from September through October. Common snook peak from April through May and from September through October.
Tackle & technique
- Southern flounder
- 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.
- Atlantic croaker
- Croaker feed on mud and sand bottom along channel edges, oyster bars, piers and deeper holes in bays and sounds, mostly in 5 to 30 feet of water. A two-hook bottom rig with small hooks and shrimp, bloodworm or squid catches them from piers, the surf and small boats. Fish the hours around high tide and into the evening.
- Spot
- Spot school over mud and sand in bays, tidal creeks and channels and around piers and bridges, generally in less than 25 feet of water. Fish a two-hook bottom rig with small hooks and bits of bloodworm or shrimp, and move until you find a school. In fall the biggest fish run out of the sounds past piers and inlets, and the bite can go all day.
Nearby spots
Other spots within an easy run
- Shortys Pocket71
Bay · 2.6 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 71
- Spot 69
- Common snook 68
2 kt WSWH 5:40 AM · 3.9 ftL 12:03 PM · 0.9 ft
- Sprig Point70
Cape · 2.6 mi
Top: Red drumPeak season- Red drum 70
- Atlantic tarpon 70
- Southern flounder 69
2 kt WSWH 5:40 AM · 3.9 ftL 12:03 PM · 0.9 ft
- Shortys Banks68
Bar · 2.0 mi
Top: Common snookPeak season- Common snook 68
- Atlantic croaker 66
- Atlantic tarpon 65
2 kt WSWH 5:40 AM · 3.9 ftL 12:03 PM · 0.9 ft
- Cape Cod68
Cape · 3.2 mi
Top: Common snookPeak season- Common snook 68
- Atlantic croaker 66
- Atlantic tarpon 65
2 kt WSWH 5:40 AM · 3.9 ftL 12:03 PM · 0.9 ft
Scores and forecasts are for planning only and can be wrong. Conditions on the water change fast; check the marine forecast before you go. Regulations change during the season, so confirm limits and closures with FWC before you keep a fish.