Commercial flounder season closing Oct. 6 in Pound Net Southern Management Area; trip limit established for pound nets in Northern and Central Management Areas

The commercial flounder season will close Oct. 6 in the Pound Net Southern Management Area. Additionally, a flounder trip limit is established for the Pound Net Northern and Central Management Areas.

The commercial flounder season for pound nets in the Southern Management Area is closing because the quota is nearly caught. Flounder pound net sets must be rendered inoperable in the management area during the closed flounder season. The Southern Management Area encompasses Core Sound to the South Carolina line.

The Division of Marine Fisheries 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.

Trip limits for the other pound net management areas will begin at 12:01 A.M.  Friday, Oct. 7, as follows:

Pound net harvest in the Pound Net Northern Management Area will be limited to 250 pounds per day. The Pound Net Northern Management Area includes Albemarle Sound and its tributaries. The trip limit is needed to ensure this fishery does not exceed its harvest quota.

Pound net harvest in the Pound Net Central Management Area will be limited to 2,000 pounds per day. The Pound Net Central Management Area includes Pamlico Sound and its tributaries. The trip limit is needed to ensure this fishery does not exceed its harvest quota.

Gigs and hook-and-line in the Northern and Southern Management Areas reopen at 6 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 9 with a 50-fish per person per day trip limit. 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.

For more specifics on the commercial flounder season for internal coastal waters, see Proclamation FF-49-2022.

The recreational flounder season closed Sept. 30.

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.

Correction: Updates word Northern to Central (see correction in bold)