The NC Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries today announced the 2026 commercial flounder season opening dates for Internal Coastal and Joint Fishing Waters.
Landings (fish brought to the dealer) will be split by the Flounder Management Area and Gear categories outlined in Amendment 4 to the Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan, and season opening dates will vary by category. The open harvest period for each Flounder Management Area and Gear Category will close when the allowable landings are approached to maintain harvest within the landings sub-allocation.
DMF will announce the closings by proclamation as necessary during the season.
Pound Net Management Areas
All pound net management areas will open for the harvest of flounder with no trip limits.
| Pound Net Management Area | Opening Date |
| Northern (waters north of Pamlico Sound) | Tuesday, Sept. 15 |
| Central (Pamlico Sound and its tributaries) | Wednesday, Sept. 30 |
| Southern (waters from Core Sound to the South Carolina line) | Wednesday, Sept. 30 |
Mobile Gear Management Areas
Mobile gears are all gears other than pound nets used to harvest flounder. Mobile gears are split into two Management Areas:
- Northern — waters south of the North Carolina/Virginia border to a line in Core Sound that runs approximately from the Club House on Core Banks west to a point on the shore at Davis near Marker 1.
- Southern — waters from the line in Core Sound described above south to the North Carolina/South Carolina border.
Large-mesh gill nets: Waters in both the Northern and Southern Management Areas will open for the harvest of flounder one day per week:
- Opens Wednesday, Sept. 30. Nets may be set no sooner than one hour before sunset on Tuesday, Sept. 29.
- Opens every Wednesday thereafter while the quota remains available. Nets may be set no sooner than one hour before sunset on the Tuesday before.
All other mobile gears: Waters will open seven days per week beginning Wednesday, Sept. 30 for the harvest of flounder in both the Northern and Southern Management areas.
The minimum size limit for flounder is 15 inches total length.
All commercial flounder landings, including fish kept for personal consumption, must be reported on a Trip Ticket through a licensed Fish Dealer. Dealers must report flounder landings to the DMF daily.
These management measures comply with requirements of Amendment 4 to the N.C. Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan to maintain harvest within the total allowable landings.
Check here for more information in a forthcoming proclamation.