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Rules · Summer flounder · fluke

Summer flounder size and bag limits by state

The East Coast summer flounder rulebook, north to south. Managed under the ASMFC / Mid-Atlantic Council joint plan. Core fishery: Massachusetts to North Carolina. Rules on file here for 13 states, Maine to Florida.

  1. MEMaine
    Size
    20" minimum total length
    Bag
    2 fish per angler per day
    Season
    No season restriction listed
    Openas of Oct 13Checked Oct 8, 2026Agency page ↗
  2. MAMassachusetts
    Size
    17.5" minimum (vessel-based); 16.5" minimum (shore-based)
    Bag
    5 fish
    Season
    May 24 – September 23
    Closedas of Oct 13Checked Oct 8, 2026Agency page ↗
  3. RIRhode Island
    Size
    19" minimum (special shore sites: up to 2 of the 6 may be 17"+)
    Bag
    6 fish per person per day
    Season
    April 1 – December 31
    Openas of Oct 13Checked Oct 8, 2026Agency page ↗
  4. CTConnecticut
    Size
    19" minimum (May 4–Aug 1); 19.5" minimum (Aug 2–Oct 15)
    Bag
    3 fish per angler per day
    Season
    May 4–August 1 and August 2–October 15
    Openas of Oct 13 · Open through Oct 15Checked Oct 10, 2026Agency page ↗
  5. NYNew York
    Size
    19" minimum (May 4–Aug 1); 19.5" minimum (Aug 2–Oct 15)
    Bag
    3 fish
    Season
    May 4–August 1 and August 2–October 15
    Openas of Oct 13 · Open through Oct 15Checked Oct 10, 2026Agency page ↗
  6. NJNew Jersey
    Size
    18" minimum (17" Delaware Bay & tributaries; 16" Island Beach State Park shore fishing)
    Bag
    3 fish (2 at Island Beach State Park shore fishing)
    Season
    May 4–September 25
    Closedas of Oct 13Checked Oct 10, 2026Agency page ↗
  7. DEDelaware
    Size
    16" (Jan 1–May 31); 17.5" (Jun 1–Dec 31)
    Bag
    4
    Season
    All year
    Openas of Oct 13Checked Oct 10, 2026Agency page ↗
  8. MDMaryland
    Size
    16" (Jan 1–May 31); 17.5" (Jun 1–Dec 31)
    Bag
    4 per day
    Season
    Open year-round
    Openas of Oct 13Checked Oct 10, 2026Agency page ↗
  9. VAVirginia
    Size
    16" (Jan 1–May 31); 17.5" (Jun 1–Dec 31)
    Bag
    4 per person
    Season
    Open year-round
    Openas of Oct 13Checked Oct 10, 2026Agency page ↗
  10. NCNorth Carolina
    Size
    15" total length minimum
    Bag
    1 flounder per person per day (all flounder species)
    Season
    Sept 1–Sept 14, 2026 only; closed all other dates in 2026
    Closedas of Oct 13Checked Oct 10, 2026Agency page ↗
  11. SCSouth Carolina
    Size
    16" total length minimum
    Bag
    5 per person per day, not to exceed 10 per boat per day
    Season
    No closed season listed
    Openas of Oct 13Checked Oct 10, 2026Agency page ↗
  12. GAGeorgia
    Size
    12" total length minimum
    Bag
    15 per person per day
    Season
    Open all year
    Openas of Oct 13Checked Oct 10, 2026Agency page ↗
  13. FLFlorida (Atlantic)
    Size
    14" total length minimum
    Bag
    5 per person per day
    Season
    Open except annual closure Oct 15–Nov 30
    Openas of Oct 13 · Open through Oct 14Checked Oct 9, 2026Agency page ↗

Status is derived from each row's season dates on Oct 13, 2026. Rules change in season, and the agency page controls. A state missing from this list is one we have not verified yet. It may still have a rule.

The trap on this fish

Fluke seasons close in the fall in most states, and minimum sizes differ from one state line to the next, sometimes by a half inch.

Federal waters

Summer flounder are jointly managed by ASMFC and the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council. Federal recreational measures for federal waters are set by NOAA Fisheries and can differ from state rules. NOAA Fisheries · summer flounder ↗

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