Skip to main content

Summer Flounder

Summer Flounder

Summer Flounder are found from Massachusetts to Florida but are most abundant in North Carolina waters from Delaware to Cape Lookout. In North Carolina, they inhabit high-salinity coastal and estuarine waters in spring and summer, moving offshore in winter.

Scientific Name: Paralichthys dentatus

Also known as fluke

Physical Characteristics:
  • These flatfish have a distinctive disc-shaped body that's white on the right side and brown, gray, or olive on the left side, with three distinct ocellated dark brown spots near the tail forming a triangle pointing to the head.
  • They typically range from 10-16 inches in North Carolina catches but can grow to 32 inches.

What to know

Habitat Distribution

  • These flatfish exhibit strong seasonal inshore-offshore migrations, normally inhabiting shallow coastal and estuarine waters during warmer months and moving offshore to depths up to 150m during colder months.
  • North Carolina's estuarine waters, particularly west and northwest of Cape Hatteras and in Core Sound's high-salinity bays and tidal creeks, serve as significant nursery areas.
  • They prefer sandy substrates and are attracted to eelgrass and macroalgae habitats for prey while remaining in nearby sand to avoid predators.

Key Locations

  • In the Outer Banks, fish around Wanchese, Manteo, Oregon Inlet, Hatteras, and Ocracoke.
  • Along the Crystal Coast, try Atlantic Beach, Morehead City, Beaufort, Emerald Isle, and Swansboro areas.
  • In the Cape Fear region around Wilmington, fish the Cape Fear River, Carolina Beach, Southport, and Wrightsville Beach with access to the Intracoastal Channel.

Specific Spots

  • Target areas include inlets, estuaries, salt marshes, around docks and piers, sea grass beds, mudflats, and nearshore ocean wrecks and hard-bottom areas.

Summer Flounder FAQ

Answers from onWater's species guide.

What are the best lures and bait for Summer Flounder in North Carolina?

For bait, use live finger mullet, minnows, shrimp, or cut squid. Productive artificial lures include paddle tail soft plastics with jig heads (1/8 to 1/2 oz depending on depth and current), Berkley Gulp shrimp and swimming mullet, small bucktail jigs, and jerk baits.

When is the best time to fish for Summer Flounder in North Carolina?

Summer Flounder fishing is best during summer and fall months, with the recreational season typically opening in September for just two weeks (September 1-14 in 2025). Avoid fishing during spawning periods from September through March, with peak spawning in October north of Chesapeake Bay and November south of it.

How do you catch Summer Flounder in North Carolina?

Use standard bottom rigs or specialized flounder rigs. Bounce lures slowly along the bottom within a foot of the seafloor. Flounder can also be taken by gigging at night from boats with lights during open season.

What do Summer Flounder eat?

Summer flounder are active predators that swim vigorously to chase prey, feeding primarily on bony fish (61.1% of diet), cephalopods (34.2%), and crustaceans including mysids, shrimp, crabs, sand lance, anchovies, round herring, silver hake, and small flatfish.

Where do Summer Flounder live in North Carolina?

These flatfish exhibit strong seasonal inshore-offshore migrations, normally inhabiting shallow coastal and estuarine waters during warmer months and moving offshore to depths up to 150m during colder months.

Fish smarter with real-time insights

Whether you're en route and conditions shift or you're looking for the best spot based on current flows, we enable you to make informed decisions on the fly.

See it in the app

Most maps show you water.
onWater shows you Summer Flounder.

  1. 01 · Species map filter

    Map every Summer Flounder water

    Pick Summer Flounder and the map zeroes in on the waters they call home. No more guessing which lake holds them.

  2. 02 · Waterbody species

    Tap any water. See what lives there.

    Species, behavior and seasonal patterns for every lake, river and pond, before you leave the driveway.

  3. 03 · Angler Intelligence

    Ask how to catch Summer Flounder

    Tactics, gear and timing from onWater's AI fishing guide, tuned to the species and the water you're on.

Stop guessing where Summer Flounder are.

Open the map, filter by Summer Flounder, and head to water that holds them. Download onWater and plan your next trip in minutes.

  • Species map filter
  • Angler Intelligence
  • Fishing journal
Try onWater+ for free

Explore other species

Trout, bass, salmon, panfish and everything in between. Each guide unpacks the behavior, seasons, and tactics that put fish in the net.

No species information available.

North Carolina licenses and regulations

Explore nearby waters

Explore North Carolina waters

Top fishing waters

Popular Cities

Loading popular cities...

Smarter Fishing Starts in the App.

onWater Fish gives you everything you need to plan smarter, fish better, and own every trip from first cast to last.