The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries has announced changes to the 2025 commercial flounder season for pound nets. The agency has removed trip limits for pound net fisheries at the start of the season, allowing harvest without initial restrictions. However, officials stated that “Trip limits for one or more management areas may be implemented during the season to minimize the risk of exceeding the respective allowable landings (quota).”
Commercial flounder quotas are divided by Flounder Management Area and Gear Categories, with different opening dates for each area and gear type. For pound net fisheries, opening dates are as follows: Northern Management Area (waters north of Pamlico Sound) opens on Monday, September 15; Central Management Area (Pamlico Sound and its tributaries) and Southern Management Area (waters from Core Sound to the South Carolina line) both open on Wednesday, October 1.
Mobile gears—which include all flounder harvesting equipment other than pound nets—are split into Northern and Southern Management Areas. The Northern area extends from south of the North Carolina/Virginia border to a designated line in Core Sound, while the Southern area covers waters from that line south to the North Carolina/South Carolina border.
For mobile gears using gill nets, flounder harvest will be allowed one day per week in both management areas starting Wednesday, October 1. Nets may be set no sooner than one hour before sunset on Tuesday, September 30, and every Wednesday thereafter if quota remains available. All other mobile gear types can operate seven days a week beginning October 1.
The minimum legal size for harvested flounder remains at 15 inches total length. Harvest periods in each management area and gear category will close as needed to ensure quotas are not exceeded. According to the Division, “The open harvest period for each Flounder Management Area and Gear Category will close to maintain harvest within the landings sub-allocation when the allowable landings are approached. The Division will announce the closings by proclamation as necessary during the season.”
These regulatory measures are intended to comply with Amendment 4 of the N.C. Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan and keep catches within total allowable landings requirements.
Further details can be found in Proclamation FF-29-2025.
