Species guide · North Carolina

Southern flounder fishing in North Carolina

Paralichthys lethostigma, a bottom species also called flounder, doormat and flatfish. Listed for the South Atlantic region. Peak season, about 9 more weeks.

Right now it scores best in Neuse and Bay Rivers at 70, one of 9 North Carolina bay systems where the Waterlands engine is scoring it.

Season now

Peak season

Where it's scoring now All North Carolina waters

Season by month

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

South Atlantic

Peak season, about 9 more weeks

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

Peak: Sep to Nov. In season (shoulder or peak): Apr to Nov.

Research notes, South Atlantic region

Summer and early fall are best in Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina marsh and inlets, with the offshore spawning run in fall. North Carolina's recreational season is short and set each year by NCDMF under its southern flounder plan.

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

Where it's scoring now · 9

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

70Great

Neuse and Bay Rivers

Best window today 7-11 PM (77) · Best day Sat, Oct 3 at 7 PM (82) · 260 named spots

70Great

Pamlico Sound

Best window today 4 PM-12 AM (76) · Best day Mon, Sep 28 at 8 AM (80) · 331 named spots

68Great

Alligator River

Best window today 8-10 AM (78) · Best day Mon, Sep 21 at 9 AM (78) · 26 named spots

67Great

Coastal waters from Cape Fear NC to Little River Inlet SC out 20 NM

Best window today 7-11 PM (76) · Best day Tue, Sep 29 at 7 AM (83) · 7 named spots

66Great

Croatan and Roanoke Sounds

Best window today 8-11 AM (78) · Best day Sun, Oct 4 at 7 AM (81) · 49 named spots

66Great

Currituck Sound

Best window today 6-10 PM (78) · Best day Mon, Sep 21 at 7 PM (78) · 75 named spots

65Great

Pamlico and Pungo Rivers

Best window today 6 PM-12 AM (74) · Best day Sun, Sep 27 at 7 AM (77) · 134 named spots

64Good

Albemarle Sound

Best window today 3-8 PM (76) · Best day Mon, Sep 28 at 5 PM (77) · 21 named spots

61Good

Coastal waters from Surf City to Cape Fear NC out 20 nm

Best window today 6-11 PM (71) · Best day Sun, Sep 27 at 7 AM (77) · 1 named spot

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

NCDMF saltwater regulations Buy a North Carolina fishing license License types

North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries. Synced with NCDMF Sep 21, 2026.

No reviewed southern flounder rule for North Carolina is on file yet. Check with NCDMF before you keep one.