Summer Flounder (Fluke) (also known as Fluke) in North Carolina. Minimum legal size, daily bag limit, possession limit — verified against the NCDMF guide, 2026.
In North Carolina, the minimum legal size for Summer Flounder (Fluke) is 15 in and the daily bag limit is 1 per person. Season note: Open seasons and these size and bag limits are reviewed at least annually and can change in-season — always confirm the current North Carolina rules (including open dates, depth and area) before keeping fish.
Open seasons and these size and bag limits are reviewed at least annually and can change in-season — always confirm the current North Carolina rules (including open dates, depth and area) before keeping fish.
NC manages three flounder species (southern, summer/fluke, Gulf) as ONE combined recreational fishery. Default guide table shows all flounder CLOSED; harvest only legal during proclamation seasons. 2026 combined season = Sept 1-14 (15in TL, 1/day, hook-and-line + gig only). The spring Gulf-flounder ocean season (Mar 9-22, 2026; Portsmouth Island S to the SC line) explicitly EXCLUDES summer flounder. Any harvested flounder must be reported at deq.nc.gov/report-my-fish (eff. Dec 1, 2025). STATE coastal/joint + Atlantic Ocean waters: 15in TL, 1 fish/person/day, hook-and-line and gig only, during the proclaimed open window (2026 = Sept 1-14). Summer flounder (Paralichthys dentatus) is jointly managed by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council + ASMFC and held at status quo for 2026-2027; the federal EEZ tracks the coastwide ASMFC plan. Distinct from NC's state-managed southern flounder and Gulf flounder, though all three are harvested under the same combined NC recreational season.
These limits are pulled from the NCDMF recreational size and bag limits. Last verified June 2026.
Always check the official guide before keeping any fish. Regulations change. North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries updates its guide annually and occasionally mid-year. Fines for over-bag or undersized fish are significant.
North Carolina requires a Coastal Recreational Fishing License (CRFL) for anyone aged 16 or older fishing coastal or joint waters — there is no general shoreline exemption. NC fishing licences.
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