Summer Flounder migration calendar.
Drift bucktails tipped with squid or Gulp! over sand-mud bottoms in 15 to 60 feet. Target channel edges, sandbar drops, and back-bay holes. Larger fluke (doormats) hold tight to structure breaks and feed best on a moving tide.
Rebuilt — coastwide stock at sustainable levels per NOAA Fisheries. Continues under active management.
Where the summer flounder are this year
Region-by-region presence. Sorted by current month — regions where summer flounder are at peak or good status this month appear first.
| Region | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chesapeake Bay (Lower) Mid-Atlantic | ||||||||||||
| Chesapeake Bay (Upper) Mid-Atlantic | ||||||||||||
| Delaware Bay Mid-Atlantic | ||||||||||||
| Long Island Sound & New York Bight Northeast | ||||||||||||
| Massachusetts, Cape Cod & Islands Northeast | ||||||||||||
| New Jersey Coast Mid-Atlantic | ||||||||||||
| Rhode Island & Connecticut Sound Northeast | ||||||||||||
| Virginia Coast & Eastern Shore Mid-Atlantic |
Temperature triggers
- Preferred: 56–72°F
- Avoid below: 48°F
- Avoid above: 78°F
Read the water temperature, not the calendar — fish move when the water hits these thresholds, not when the date does.
Primary baitfish
- Bay anchovies
- Squid
- Sand eels
- Silversides
Predators follow prey. Track the bait — find the bait, find the summer flounder.
Regulation & sources
Managed by ASMFC and NOAA Fisheries. Each Atlantic state from Maine to NC sets bag and size limits annually based on coastwide quota allocation. Limits and seasons change yearly — verify before keeping fish.
Track summer flounder arrivals on your coast.
Bield: Fish notifies you when water temperatures and bait movements line up for your home region — so you're on the water the day they show up, not the week after.