The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries has announced the opening dates for the 2025 recreational flounder season. The season will run from September 1 at 12:01 a.m. to September 14 at 11:59 p.m. in the state’s Coastal and Joint waters.
Recreational anglers will have specific guidelines to follow during this two-week period. There is a one-fish per person per day creel limit, and fish must be at least 15 inches in total length, measured from snout to tail tip. Additionally, harvesting flounder with a Recreational Commercial Gear License is not permitted.
The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission will align its regulations with these dates and limits, ensuring consistency across jurisdictions.
These regulations are part of Amendment 3 of the N.C. Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan, which aims to maintain the fishery within its recreational quota. For 2025, this quota is set at 212,941 pounds or 40% of the overall quota.
Looking ahead, the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission plans to vote on Draft Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan Amendment 4 during its business meeting from August 20-22. If adopted, this amendment would allocate quotas equally between commercial and recreational fisheries, giving each sector a quota of 266,176 pounds—a notable increase for recreational fishing.
Further details on the recreational flounder season can be found in Proclamation FF-25-2025.
A separate announcement regarding the commercial flounder season in internal Coastal and Joint Fishing Waters is expected soon.
