The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries has announced the opening dates for the 2025 commercial flounder season in Internal Coastal and Joint Fishing Waters.
According to the agency, landings will be divided by Flounder Management Area and Gear categories as specified in Amendment 4 to the Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan (FMP). Season opening dates will differ depending on these categories. The open harvest period for each area and gear category will close when allowable landings are nearly reached, with closures announced by proclamation during the season.
For pound net management areas, all regions will open for flounder harvest with initial trip limits. These limits may be reduced during the season if necessary to stay within quota. The Northern area (waters north of Pamlico Sound) opens Monday, September 15, with a 500-pound trip limit. Both Central (Pamlico Sound and its tributaries) and Southern (waters from Core Sound to the South Carolina line) areas open Wednesday, October 1. The Central area has a 1,000-pound trip limit while the Southern area is limited to 500 pounds.
Mobile gears—defined as all gears other than pound nets—are split into two management areas: Northern (from south of the North Carolina/Virginia border to a line in Core Sound near Davis) and Southern (from that line south to the North Carolina/South Carolina border). Large-mesh gill nets (with mesh greater than or equal to four inches stretched) in both areas can be used one day per week starting Wednesday, October 1. Nets may be set no sooner than one hour before sunset on Tuesday, September 30, and then every Wednesday as long as quota remains available.
All other mobile gears in both management areas will be allowed seven days per week beginning October 1 until the season closes by proclamation.
The minimum size limit for southern flounder remains at 15 inches total length.
“These management measures comply with requirements of Amendment 4 to the N.C. Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan and maintain harvest within the total allowable landings,” according to the Division of Marine Fisheries.
Further details will be released in an upcoming proclamation from the division.
