NC announces 2025 recreational flounder season dates
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — North Carolina regulators announced Wednesday when the 2025 recreational flounder season will open.
The season will run from Sept. 1 through Sept. 14 in coastal and joint waters across the state.
This announcement comes after a short season in 2023 and no season at all in 2024.
“Especially in the last few weeks everyone is like are they going to give us a season are they going to give us a season,” said Blair White, who works at Intracoastal Angler, a fishing supply store on Oleander Drive in Wilmington.
White has worked at the store for 13 years and grew up fishing recreationally. He says he was excited to hear about the return of the season.
“We are all excited to be able to keep em and harvest em and enjoy eating them they are fun to catch and are delicious to eat,” White said.
State officials say the flounder population has declined due to overfishing, prompting strict regulations.
White believes similar rules have helped other species in the past.
“I do know that those fish have made a huge comeback. So I do think the regulations on those really helped that fishery and I think with the flounder it will do the same,” he said.
Like red drum regulations, the 2025 flounder season will allow only one fish per person per day. Each fish must be at least 15 inches long.
White says charter captains have struggled during the closure.
“They are catching em daily on trips and they are having to put em back their clients are coming and spending good money to go fishing. To have to put em back is a little bit tough sometimes,” he said.
Although White says he would like to see a year-round season, he understands why that may not be possible.
“The idea behind it being to grow that fishery, make it healthy again and make it abundant enough where the recreational guys can enjoy it as well as the commercial guys are able to make a living on it as well,” he said.
White also said Intracoastal Angler carries bait and gear specifically for flounder fishing, for anyone planning to get on the water in early September.
