When to fish for Summer Flounder: Moving tide is critical for fluke — they feed actively on drift in a current.
Also known as Fluke, Flatfish, Northern Flounder. Bait, technique, tide windows, and where the bite is on right now.
Summer Flounder — Mid-Atlantic / NE bottom ambusher — drift-and-bounce game. Also called Fluke, Flatfish, Northern Flounder.
Summer flounder (fluke) chase bait actively — unlike winter flounder which sit and ambush, fluke will swim 6 m off the bottom to take a moving bucktail. The classic drift-fishing presentation along sand-to-mud transitions in 15–25 m of water moves a jig at the speed of a 1.5-knot drift, which is what triggers the take.
Summer Flounder is also known as: Fluke, Flatfish, Northern Flounder. Mid-Atlantic / NE bottom ambusher — drift-and-bounce game.
Regional names can confuse anglers and cause misidentification. The table of common names below covers the most-used alternatives across Australia, New Zealand and the US:
Key to correct identification: check the regulations-authority species sheet for your state or territory before keeping any fish — minimum legal sizes, bag limits and identification guides are published by each fisheries department and are the authoritative source.
Hero spots in our coverage where Summer Flounder is in season for August. Click through for the live forecast.
Out of season across our covered spots in August. Check back in May.
Drift sandy bottoms in 20–80 ft with the lightest jig that maintains bottom contact in the current — fluke feed up off the bottom by lifting and striking. Bounce the jig in 1–2 ft hops, pause on the bottom for 2-3 seconds, repeat. When you feel the take, drop the rod tip and feed line for a 2-3 count before setting the hook — fluke are notorious for grabbing and dropping. Squid + spearing combo on a teaser rig dropped down with a bucktail underneath is the textbook bait setup.
Field-proven Summer Flounder methods compiled from published tackle guides — US Northeast and Mid-Atlantic bays, surf, reefs and wreck edges. Every method links its source.
1high-low bucktail jigging
Bait / lure: bucktail tipped with Gulp swimming mullet, grub, spearing or strip bait, with teaser/dropper hook above
Rig: braid to about 30lb fluorocarbon; dropper loop 18in-2ft above a bottom bucktail, often with a 6/0 baitholder hook on the dropper and lightest bucktail that still holds bottom
When & where: reef, wreck and rough-bottom edges where active vertical bucktailing keeps the rig near bottom without hanging up
2three-way bucktail and trailer rig
Bait / lure: bucktail jig with large grub plus trailer hook carrying 4-6in swimming mullet style soft bait
Rig: three-way swivel with main line, short 30lb leader to jig, and about 18in leader to trailer hook; jig weight commonly 3-5oz where needed to hold bottom
When & where: boat drifts over deeper structure and channels where big fluke hold on bottom and need a constantly moving jig
3surf bucktail and teaser rig
Bait / lure: 3/8-1/2oz bucktail or jighead plus teaser, both tipped with Gulp minnows or similar scented soft baits
Rig: loop-knot bucktail on leader with a dropper loop about 16in above carrying 2/0 teaser or octopus hook
When & where: beach troughs, cuts and surf edges where light jigs can stay near bottom and be swept naturally
4live mullet fishfinder rig
Bait / lure: live mullet
Rig: fishfinder rig with egg sinker sized to depth/current and short leader around 8in so the bait stays near bottom
When & where: Florida and broader flounder situations from shallow water to deep drops where a natural bait slowly dragged on bottom is preferred
Moving tide is critical for fluke — they feed actively on drift in a current. Slack tide kills the bite. The middle two-thirds of the tide (whether incoming or outgoing) when current is strongest produces best. Slow drifts in light current = drift socks or motoring slowly to maintain bottom contact.
Fluke are weakly moon-dependent. Spring tides on new and full moons produce stronger currents which generally help drift fishing. Outside that, water temp (60–70°F is prime) and finding the right bottom structure matters more.
Figures come from each jurisdiction's own fisheries authority, with the source linked on every page above. Rules change — closures in particular are reset annually — so confirm with the authority before you keep a fish.
Highly regulated and changes annually. NY: typically 19–20" minimum, 3 per person; NJ: 18", 3 per person; CT: 19", 4 per person — but verify current state rules every year. Fluke regulations are set through ASMFC and individual states; small variations matter at the dock.
US state size & bag limits for Summer Flounder: NC · VA · NY · NJ
Olli-Mikael Vaittinen has fished his whole life. Fifteen years of fly fishing, guiding seasons on Norway's Lakselva — his favourite Atlantic salmon river — and a blue marlin landed in Vava'u, Tonga. Founder of Fishare — the app that puts the data behind the decisions every angler makes on the water.
Fishare tracks your home spots and pings you when the next 3-hour peak window opens. Log catches and blanks to teach the model your local patterns. The forecast, saved spots and catch log stay free, forever.
Open Fishare