Connecticut and New York summer flounder close after October 15; three days remain after the storm
CT and NY summer flounder seasons close after October 15. Columbus Day storm advisories hold most Long Island Sound and south-shore ports through Monday evening. The gap between the two storm systems is October 13 through 15.
Connecticut and New York summer flounder seasons close after October 15. The Columbus Day storm has held most Long Island Sound, NY Bight south-shore, and southern Connecticut ports inside Small Craft Advisory zones through Monday evening, October 12. NWS Boston/Norton MA (weather.gov/box) Small Craft Advisories for Rhode Island Sound, Block Island Sound, and adjacent southern New England waters run through 8:00 PM EDT Monday. NWS Upton NY (weather.gov/okx) advisories for the NY Bight south-shore corridor run through 4:00 AM EDT Tuesday. That puts the first realistic departure from most south-shore Long Island and Connecticut ports at Tuesday, October 13. Three days remain before the season closes: October 13 through 15.
Connecticut and New York fluke rules for 2026 are at the state agency pages. CT DEEP saltwater regulations carries the current Connecticut size and bag limits. NY DEC recreational fishing regulations carries New York rules; New York manages summer flounder under split zone regulations, with Long Island Sound and the NY Bight covered under different specifications. The zone a trip departs from determines which set of rules applies. Emergency in-season changes post to state agency pages before they appear anywhere else; the agency page on the morning of the trip is the only current source.
A second offshore system builds Friday, October 16. NWS forecasts show 25 to 35 knots and seas 7 to 14 feet returning to the Mid-Atlantic corridor Friday night. October 13 through 15 is the gap between the two systems. Any trip targeting that window should confirm the Friday outlook has not moved before launching. NWS zone text for southern New England is at weather.gov/box; for the NY Bight and south-shore Long Island, at weather.gov/okx. The zone text is the pre-launch check.
On the water: Rules and conditions can change quickly. Confirm current regulations and official marine forecasts for your exact trip.