NC reopens flounder fishing for six weeks in August 2020

Dan Kibler Flounder, Outdoor Update
flounder
Fishing with Butch Foster of Yeah Right Charters, Rusty Orrell of Linwood, N.C, caught this nice flounder near Southport, N.C., in June 2019, several months before North Carolina closed its flounder season, which reopens this month for six weeks.

2020 flounder season opens Aug. 16

North Carolina anglers will finally get a chance to keep some flounder this year — for 6 weeks — when the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries opens an Aug. 16-Sept. 30 recreational season for 2020, ending more than 11 months of closure.

NCDMF closed the recreational flounder season and restricted the commercial season last Aug. 28 by approving recommendations designed to end overfishing and help replenish overfished stocks of southern flounder in North Carolina waters. The recreational season was closed last Sept. 4 to reduce the 2019 recreational catch by 62%. No flounder are to be kept in state waters, except during the 6-week season, to reduce the 2020 recreational catch by 72%.

Federal fisheries managers have reported for several years that the species are overfished and being overfished across the South Atlantic area.

Anglers will be allowed to keep four flatfish per day during the 6-week season. All flounder kept must be at least 15 inches long. The season will close again on Sept. 30 and remain closed until NCDMF announces any plans to reopen it for 2021.

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About Dan Kibler 887 Articles
Dan Kibler is the former managing editor of Carolina Sportsman Magazine. If every fish were a redfish and every big-game animal a wild turkey, he wouldn’t ever complain. His writing and photography skills have earned him numerous awards throughout his career.

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