Flounder (Summer)
Paralichthys dentatus
A flat fish that lies on the bottom — easy to find, delicious to eat
📅 When to Fish
Habitat
Sandy and muddy bottoms in bays, estuaries, and nearshore ocean. Lie motionless on the bottom, perfectly camouflaged, waiting to ambush baitfish and shrimp.
Best Season
Spring through fall. Peak in late summer and fall as water temperatures peak.
Best Times
Incoming tide is most productive — flounder move into shallower water to feed as the tide rises.
Record
22 lbs 7 oz
Ideal Water Temp
50–68°F
Top Lures & Baits
- •Bucktail jig tipped with gulp shrimp
- •Live killifish or mud minnow
- •Flounder rig with cut squid or shrimp
- •Soft plastic paddletail on a jig head
🔍 Identification
Flatfish — both eyes on left side of body. Brown with white spots on top, white underneath. Wide mouth with sharp teeth. Lie flat on sandy or muddy bottoms.
🍽️ Eating Quality
Outstanding — delicate, white, mild, sweet flesh. Some of the finest eating of any saltwater fish.
📍 Where to Find It
🎣 Beginner Tip
On a rising tide, slowly drift a bucktail jig tipped with a strip of squid over a sandy flat near a channel edge. Let it tick the bottom. The strike is a distinctive thump. Pause before setting the hook — flounder swallow the bait headfirst and need a moment.