MOREHEAD CITY – The 2026 recreational flounder season will open Sept. 1-14 in Coastal and Joint Fishing Waters of the state.

The two-week season is the same dates as were open in 2025.

“North Carolina’s decision to open the 2026 recreational season to match last year’s season stems from a review of recreational data from 2025 and deliberate management actions aimed at balancing sustainability with angler access.” said Kathy Rawls, Director of the NC Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries. “Whenever we can, we aim to provide some consistency in the recreational flounder seasons from year to year.”

The season, size and bag limits comply with provisions of the N.C. Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan Amendment 4. The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission’s flounder season will open Sept. 1-14 as well, so the season, size limit and daily bag limit will be consistent across jurisdictions.

The following provisions will apply:

• Season: Opens Sept. 1 at 12:01 a.m. and closes Sept. 14 at 11:59 p.m.
• Bag Limit: One-fish per person per day.
• Minimum Size Limit: 15-inch total length (from the tip of the snout to the tip of the tail).
• Mandatory Harvest Reporting Requirement: All flounder that are kept must be reported to the Division of Marine Fisheries through an online form or iPhone App. Learn more.
• Gears: Hook and line and gig fisheries only. Harvest of flounder with a Recreational Commercial Gear License prohibited.

For more specifics on the recreational flounder season in Coastal and Joint Fishing Waters, see Proclamation FF-27-2026.