Two out of three is okay

Fishermen catch three species of flounder in North Carolina waters, and the larger two are found in Pamlico Sound.

Summer flounder, Paralichthys dentatus and southern flounder, Paralichthys lethostigma, are the flounder most-commonly caught in Pamlico Sound, with southern flounder comprising the bulk of the catch. Most southern flounder are caught at about two pounds, especially in the western sound, but they occasionally grow larger and have been recorded up to 33 inches and exceeding 10 pounds.

Summer flounder are the largest of North Carolina’s flounder. While some are occasionally caught along the western edge of Pamlico Sound, they are most frequently caught in the ocean and immediate coastal inshore waters. The may reach 30 inches in length.

Gulf flounder, Paralichthys albigutta, are the smallest of North Carolina’s flounder, commonly reaching two pounds, with occasional larger individuals. They are primarily caught in inside waters along the southern half of the North Carolina coast.

Flounder have flat, rounded bodies with a dark top side and white bottom. The top side can vary in color from dark black to light and mottled depending on the composition of the bottom. While they can be difficult to see, especially on flounder with mottled coloring, summer flounder have five ocellated spots on their dark side. Southern flounder do not have the ocellated spots.

Flounder are found in a variety of habitats, from well offshore to far inland. They have been caught as far inland as Greenville in the Tar River and similar distances up other coastal rivers. There is a reproducing population of flounder in Sutton Lake, which is a freshwater cooling reservoir for the Sutton Electric Plant near Wilmington.

Flounder are opportunistic feeders that rely on water movement to carry food to them. They are not particular and will eat small fish, shrimp and crabs. Flounder tolerate captivity well and are successfully spawned in hatcheries and raised to release and for market in aquaculture operations.

North Carolina manages flounder with a six-fish daily creel limit and a 15-inch size minimum. The state-record flounder weighed 20 1/2 pounds and was caught by Harold Auten at Carolina Beach in 1980. The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries citation program recognizes flounder weighing 5 pounds or more.