Commercial flounder season reopening statewide on Oct. 9 for gigs and hook-and-line; trip limit established for pound nets in Southern Management Area

The commercial flounder season will reopen Oct. 9 for gigs and hook-and-line in internal coastal waters statewide. Additionally, a flounder trip limit is established for the Pound Net Southern Management Area.

The commercial flounder season for gigs and hook-and-line in the Northern and Southern Management Areas reopens at 6 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 9. The harvest season will close when the Total Allowable Landings for this sector is approached, or at 6 a.m., Thursday, Oct. 13, whichever occurs first. The Northern Management Area includes the upper portion of Core Sound and waters north to the Virginia State line. The Southern Management Area encompasses the lower portion of Core Sound and waters south to the South Carolina state line.

The commercial flounder season closed on Sept. 22 for mobile gears in the Northern Management Area and on Sept. 21 for mobile gears in the Southern Management Area as the quota was nearly caught in both management areas.

After evaluating landings, the Division of Marine Fisheries determined that enough quota remained for a limited reopening in both mobile gear management areas.

Once the reopened season closes, the Division of Marine Fisheries again will evaluate landings once all daily dealer reports are submitted. If the division determines quota is available for additional harvest days further proclamations will be issued.

Also, beginning at 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1, pound net harvest in the Pound Net Southern Management Area will be limited to 1,000 pounds per day. The Pound Net Southern Management Area includes Core Sound south to the South Carolina state line. The trip limit is needed to ensure this fishery does not exceed its harvest quota. The Pound Net Northern Management Area trip limit of 1,000 pounds will continue.

The commercial flounder seasons for pound nets in the Central Management Area and in the Southern Management Area open Oct. 1.

For more specifics on the commercial flounder season for internal coastal waters, see Proclamation FF-48-2022.

The recreational flounder season will close as scheduled at 11:59 p.m. Sept. 30. For more specifics on the recreational flounder season, see Proclamation FF-44-2022.

North Carolina’s southern flounder fisheries are managed under the Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan Amendment 3. For more information on the management measures, see the Southern Flounder Information Page under Hot Topics.