Flounder
Paralichthys dentatus
Partially verified
Commonly confused with: Southern Flounder. If you're not sure which one you've caught, treat it as the more restricted species and release it until you can confirm.
Identification
Both eyes on the left side of the head when viewed from above (a 'left-eyed' flatfish), Brown/gray/drab above with at least 5 dark spots arranged in an X pattern, white below; can change color to match the bottom
Where this fish fits
Flounder is found across more than one water environment — this reflects real movement between them (e.g. a tidal migration or life-stage change), not uncertainty about where to look.
Common access at this project's own linked locations: Bank / Shore, Boat Ramp, Kayak.
These are discovery categories describing where anglers realistically fish for this species, not a guarantee this project has confirmed regional access at every listed setting — see the linked locations below for this project's own actually-sourced spots.
- Typical season
- Late spring through fall, best during the fall migration toward the ocean.
- Habitats
- Inlets and channel edges, Structure near sandy or shell bottom, Docks and bridge pilings
- Food use
- Commonly eaten
Data not yet verified.
This site hasn't checked for a fish-consumption advisory covering this species yet. That is not the same as confirmed safe — check current official guidance before eating your catch.
Recipes for Flounder
Commonly eaten — check the advisory notice above before eating your catch.
Seasons, size limits, and possession limits change and vary by water body. Always check the current regulations at the current regulations page before you fish.
- Bait & lures
- Bucktail tipped with Gulp! or a minnow, Live mud minnows or finger mullet on a Carolina rig
- Beginner difficulty
- Easy for beginners
Part of this record is confirmed against an official source; other parts are not. See the notes below for exactly which.
Eye-side and body-marking identification features confirmed via the NOAA Fisheries species page. Winter flounder (right-eyed with much smaller teeth and eyes) remains a lookalike not currently profiled on this site; southern flounder is now its own published entry (see similarSpecies) rather than left as a bare mention. Habitat/season/bait notes remain general regional angling knowledge, not individually fact-checked. Regulations change often — always check the current VMRC page linked below.