The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries will collect flounder carcasses from recreational fishermen during the 2025 season, held Sept. 1-14. The carcasses will be used for research purposes.
Recreational anglers who donate their flounder carcass and complete the required catch-card (one person per fish per card) will be entered to win one of two rod and reel combinations (limit one per person). Catch-cards and donation supplies are located at each donation site, and anglers must complete the entire catch-card legibly and truthfully to be eligible.
The division has set up additional temporary donation locations, along with the seven carcass collection locations available throughout the sampling year, where recreational fishermen can donate their flounder carcasses.
The temporary locations are:
- Quarter Deck, 503 Carteret St, Bath
- Chasin Tails Outdoors Bait & Tackle, 709 Atlantic Beach Causeway, Atlantic Beach
- Pelagic Hunter, 104 James St., Sneads Ferry
- Intracoastal Angler, 6332 Oleander Dr, Wilmington
- Carolina Beach Municipal Docks, Carl Winner Dr, Carolina Beach
- Ocean Isle Fishing Center, 65 Causeway Dr, Ocean Isle Beach
The year-round locations are (map):
- Frisco Rod & Gun, Frisco
- Jennette’s Pier, Nags Head
- Eastside Bait & Tackle, Washington
- Cape Pointe Marina, Harkers Island
- N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries Headquarters, Morehead City
- Tex’s Tackle, Wilmington
- Clem’s Seafood, Southport
When cleaning the fish, anglers should leave the head and tail intact and, if possible, leave the guts/reproductive organs in the fish. Anglers who fished on a charter boat or head boat should let the fish cleaner know the carcass will be donated.
Division biologists will measure the fish, determine the sex when possible, and remove the otoliths (ear bones) for age determination. The information collected will be used in future flounder stock assessments.
The 2025 recreational Flounder season officially opens at 12:01 a.m. Sept. 1 and closes at 11:59 p.m. on Sept 14. Anglers may keep one fish per person per day. The minimum size limit is 15 inches total length. For more specific information, see Proclamation FF-25-2025.
Division biologists will obtain data from commercially caught flounder at the fish houses. Commercially caught carcasses should not be left in the Carcass Collection Program freezers.
Read more about North Carolina’s Carcass Collection program here, or, for more information, contact Amanda Macek, division sportfishing specialist, at 252 515-5537 or amanda.macek@deq.nc.gov.