Northeast coast
Summer flounder (fluke)
Paralichthys dentatus
Fluke. The doormats lie on the sand edge of the channel in summer.
What they like
- 2–15 musual depth (they tolerate 0.5–60 m)
- 14–24 °Cwater temperature they feed in
- clear or coloured waterwater clarity
- sloping edges, channels, shallow flatsbottom they hunt, in order
- a moving tide (rising or falling)tide
- daylightlight
Sand edges of channels and inlets, drifting with the tide; the flats on the flood in early summer.
Season by region
Peak months, shaded. Outside them the species may still be around, just less reliably.
Bait and technique
Methods: spinning / casting, bait.
Bait and lures: Squid and spearing strips, Gulp swimming mullet on bucktails.
Technique: Drift and bounce a bucktail along the bottom where the channel meets the flat; slow lift, drop, repeat.
Rules
Atlantic states: Slot and bag limits differ by state (about 17-19 in). Verify with your state.
Seasons, sizes and bag limits change every year and differ by zone. Check the current regulations before you keep anything.
Preferences are expert estimates from the fisheries literature and angling practice, not measurements at your spot. The likelihoods on the maps are a planning aid, not a catch prediction.