Summer Flounder (Paralichthys dentatus)
Summer Flounder
Implementing regulations are found at 50 CFR part 648 subpart G
The summer flounder fishery in the U.S. operates from Maine to the North Carolina/South Carolina border. Summer flounder is one of the most sought after commercial and recreational fish along the Atlantic coast. Summer flounder is found in inshore and offshore waters from Nova Scotia, Canada, to the east coast of Florida. Summer flounder are mainly caught in bottom otter trawls, but are also taken by pound nets and gillnets in estuarine waters. The market for summer flounder is for human consumption and is primarily sold fresh.
2016 Summer Flounder Bulletins
- 12/22/2016
- Connecticut Summer Flounder Fishery Closure
- 12/21/2016
- Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass; 2017 Commercial Quotas and Recreational Harvest Limits
- 11/04/2016
- Commercial Fishing Prohibited in National Monument
- 09/20/2016
- Industry-Funded Monitoring Ominbus Amendment, Public Hearings and Comment Period
- 08/19/2016
- Massachusetts Summer Flounder Fishery Closure
- 08/01/2016
- Scup Incidental Catch Limit; Increase and Update to the Summer Flounder Mesh Regulations
- 08/01/2016
- Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass 2016 Recreational Management Measures
- 01/13/2016
- 2016 Vessel Permit Renewal Bulletin
- 01/01/2016
- NOAA Fisheries Announces Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass 2016-2018 Commercial Quotas and Recreational Harvest Limits
Click Below for Past Bulletins (Permit Holder Letters):
2016 Summer Flounder Federal Register Actions
- 12/22/2016
- Temporary Rule; Summer Flounder Fishery; Commercial Quota Harvested for Connecticut
- 12/20/2016
- Final Rule; Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fisheries; 2017-2018 Summer Flounder Specifications and Announcement of 2017 Summer Flounder and Black Sea Bass Commercial Accountability Measures
- 12/16/2016
- Temporary Rule; Summer Flounder Fishery; Maine to Connecticut Quota Transfer
- 12/08/2016
- Temporary Rule; Summer Flounder Fishery; NJ to VA Quota Transfer
- 11/14/2016
- Proposed Rule; 2017 and 2018 Summer Flounder Specifications
- 09/23/2016
- Draft Omnibus Industry-Funded Monitoring Amendment and Draft Environmental Assessment Available for Public Comment
- 09/19/2016
- Notice of Public Hearings; Request for Comments; Fisheries of the Northeastern United States: Omnibus Amendment Public Hearings
- 08/19/2016
- Temporary Rule; Summer Flounder Fishery; Commercial Quota Harvested for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
- 08/01/2016
- Final Rule: Recreational Management Measures for the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fisheries; Fishing Year 2016
- 07/14/2016
- Notice; Request For Comments; General Provisions for Domestic Fisheries; Application for Exempted Fishing Permits; CCE FSB mesh selectivity EFP
- 06/21/2016
- Temporary Rule; Summer Flounder Fishery; NC to VA Quota Transfer
- 05/25/2016
- Notice With Request for Comments; Northeast Ocean Plan
- 05/20/2016
- Proposed rule; request for comments; Fisheries of the Northeastern United States Recreational Management Measures for the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fisheries; Fishing Year 2016
- 04/14/2016
- Temporary Rule; Summer Flounder Fishery; NC to NJ and MA Quota Transfer
- 03/16/2016
- Notice; Request For Comments; General Provisions for Domestic Fisheries; Application for Exempted Fishing Permits; CFF Fluke Cable TED EFP
- 03/08/2016
- Summer Flounder Fishery; Quota Transfer; NC to NJ, RI, VA and MA
- 01/01/2016
- Notice; National Saltwater Angler Registry Program; Annual fee of twenty-nine dollars ($29.00) for registration of anglers, spear fishers and for-hire fishing vessels
- 01/01/2016
- Final Rule; 2016-2018 Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Specifications
Click Below for Past Federal Register Actions & Public Comments:
2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 |
General Fisheries Information Sheets
- Gear Stowage Requirements
- Letters of Authorization
- Small Mesh Fishery Exemptions
- Large Mesh Fishery Exemptions
Summer Flounder, Scup, Black Sea Bass
Current Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (e-CFR)
What are other common names for summer flounder fishery? Fluke
What time of year are summer flounder most commonly found? Summer flounder appear in April in the New York Bight and continue to move inshore during May and June. They appear in early May near Woods Hole. Summer flounder begin an offshore migration in September and are usually gone from the northern part of the range by October or November.
What is the geographic extent of summer flounder? Summer flounder are found in waters from Canada to South Carolina (possibly to Florida), primarily south of Cape Cod. They are found in offshore waters in the winter and inshore waters throughout the summer. Commercial and recreational fisheries occur from Cape Cod to Cape Hatteras. Eight statistical areas (537, 612, 613, 616, 621, 622, 626, 631) individually accounted for greater than 5% of the summer flounder catch in 2009, collectively accounting for 76% of the catch. Six statistical areas (537, 538, 539, 611, 612, 613) individually accounted for greater than 5% of the trips which caught summer flounder in 2009, collectively accounting for 77% of the trips that caught summer flounder and 35% of the summer flounder catch.
At what depths are summer flounder found? In spring, summer flounder are distributed in warmer waters on the southern shelf and shelf break to depths of approximately 500 ft (152 m). In the fall, they are primarily on inner shelf at depths of less than 200 ft (61 m).
Are other species caught when fishing for summer flounder? Summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass fisheries are mixed fisheries, where squid, Atlantic mackerel, silver hake, skate, and other species are also harvested.
What gear types are authorized and what gears are primarily used? For the commercial fishery, trawl, longline, handline, pot, trap, gillnet, and dredge are all authorized gears. For the recreational fishery, rod and reel, handline, pot, trap, and spear are all authorized gears. Bottom trawling has been the predominant gear type (93%) in the summer flounder fishery. They are also taken by pound nets and gillnets in estuarine waters. In 2009, the majority of the trips and catch (72.1% and 96%, respectively) were by otter and beam trawl, followed by gillnets (11% trips, 1.6% catch), handline “other” (10.5% trips, 1.2% catch), scallop dredge (5.1% trips, 1.0% catch), and pots and traps (1.1% trips, 0.3% catch). Recreational fisheries use hook and line.
How is the fishery managed? Summer flounder is managed using commercial quotas allocated to the states, and size limits for both the recreational and commercial fishery. The commercial fishery also uses gear requirements as a management measure.
Who manages this fishery? Summer flounder is jointly managed in state and Federal waters by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council and NOAA Fisheries in conjunction with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. Summer flounder conservation equivalency also allows each state to establish its own recreational management measures, as long as the combined effect of all of the states’ management measures achieves the same level of conservation as would Federal coastwide measures.
What is the fishing year for this fishery? January 1 – December 31
What are the different management areas for the summer flounder fishery? Maine to the latitude of the North Carolina/South Carolina border
1979 – Total U.S. commercial landings of summer flounder peaked at nearly 18,000 metric tons (40 million pounds)
1988 – Management of the summer flounder fishery began as the original Summer Flounder Fishery Management Plan (FMP) is implemented; coincided with the lowest levels of summer flounder abundance since the late 1960s
1991 – Amendment 1 (Federal Register (FR) Notice) established an overfishing definition for summer flounder
1993 – Amendment 2 (FR Notice) established a rebuilding schedule, commercial quotas, recreational harvest limits, size limits, gear restrictions, permits, and reporting requirements for summer flounder; also creates the Summer Flounder Monitoring Committee; Amendment 3 (FR Notice) revised the exempted fishery line, increased the large mesh net threshold, and established otter trawl retention requirement for large mesh use; Amendment 4 (FR Notice) revised state-specific shares for summer flounder quota allocation; Amendment 5 (FR Notice) allowed states to combine or transfer summer flounder quota
1994 – Amendment 6 (FR Notice) set criteria for allowance of multiple nets on board commercial vessels for summer flounder, established deadline for publishing catch limits, commercial management measures for summer flounder
1995 – Amendment 7 (FR Notice) revised the F reduction schedule for summer flounder
Mid-1990s – Stock assessments indicate that summer flounder abundance is not increasing as rapidly as projected
1996 – Amendment 8 (FR Notice) incorporated Scup FMP into Summer Flounder FMP; Amendment 9 (FR Notice) incorporated Black Sea Bass FMP into Summer Flounder FMP
1996-1998 – Managers further reduce landings quotas to facilitate rebuilding of the stock
1997 – Amendment 10 (FR Notice) modified commercial minimum mesh requirement, continued commercial vessel moratorium, prohibited transfer of fish at sea, and established special permit for party/charter sector for summer flounder
1998 – Amendment 11 (FR Notice) modified certain provisions related to vessel replacement and upgrading, permit history transfer, splitting, and permit renewal regulations
1999 – Amendment 12 (FR Notice) revised FMP to comply with the SFA and established framework adjustment process
2001 – Framework 1(FR Notice) established quota set-aside for research for all three species; Framework 2 (FR Notice) established state-specific conservation equivalency measures for summer flounder
2003 – Amendment 13 ( FR Notice) addressed the disapproval sections of Amendment 12; Framework 3 allowed the rollover of winter scup quota and revised the start date for the scup summer quota period; Framework 4 established a system to transfer scup at sea.
2004 – Framework 5 (FR Notice) established multi-year specification setting of quota for all three species
2006 – Summer flounder rebuilding plan deadline extended to 2013; Framework 6 (FR Notice) established region-specific conservation equivalency measures for summer flounder
2007 – Framework 7 (FR Notice) built flexibility into process to define and update status determination criteria; Amendment 16 (FR Notice) standardized bycatch reporting methodology
2007 – Amendment 14 established a rebuilding schedule for scup and made scup GRAs modifiable through a framework adjustment process.
2011 – Amendment 15 (FR Notice) established annual catch limits and accountability measures
2014 – Amendment 19 (FR Notice) changed recreational accountability measures
2015 – Amendment 17 (FR Notice) implemented Standardized Bycatch Reporting Methodology
2015 – Amendment 18 (FR Notice) eliminated the requirement for vessel owners to submit "did not fish" reports for months or weeks when their vessel was not fishing. Removed some of the restrictions for upgrading vessels listed on Federal fishing permits.
What are the primary markets for the summer flounder fishery? Human consumption
What are the recent landings and value of the fishery?
Landings: 12.483 million lb (2012)
Ex-vessel landing value: $30.347 million (2012)
Estimated average ex-vessel price per pound: $2.43 (2012)
What are the top summer flounder landing ports? Point Judith, RI, Newport News, VA, and Wanchese, NC
Northeast Fisheries Science Center Summer Flounder Information – click here
Stock | Summer Flounder |
Overfishing? | Yes |
Overfishing Definition | Overfishing occurs when F > FMSY |
Overfished? | No |
Overfished Definition | The stock is overfished when B < ½ BMSY Proxy |
Rebuilding Program | No, declared rebuilt in 2010 |
F/FMSY | 0.31 |
Fishing Mortality Rate | 0.359 (2014) |
SSBMSY Proxy | 137.555 million lb |
Biomass | 88.896 million lb (2014) |
Other Stock Status Information: Not Applicable
Most Recent Environmental Impact Statement: Amendment 13; 2003 (Volume 1, Volume 2)
Most Recent Biological Opinion: 2013
Most Recent Stock Assessment Update: 2015
Next Stock Assessment: not scheduled
Quota Monitoring – click here
2016 Annual Summer Flounder Specifications (January 1-December 31)
Stock | Summer Flounder |
Overfishing Limit (OFL) | 18.06 million lb |
Acceptable Biological Catch (ABC) | 16.26 million lb |
Annual Catch Limit (ACL) | 16.26 million lb |
Annual Catch Target (ACT) | 16.26 million lb |
Total Allowable Landings (TAL) | 13.54 million lb |
Optimal Yield (OY) | The long term average amount of desired yield, not to exceed maximum sustainable yield. |
Research Set-Aside: 0 lb
Final Commercial Quota: 8.12 million lb
2016 State Commercial Summer Flounder Allocations
State | Percent Share | Initial Commercial Quota (lb) | Adjusted Commercial Quota (lb)* |
Maine | 0.05 | 3,864 | 3,864 |
New Hampshire | 0.0005 | 37 | 37 |
Massachusetts | 6.82 | 554,097 | 554,097 |
Rhode Island | 15.68 | 1,274,091 | 1,274,091 |
Connecticut | 2.26 | 183,366 | 183,366 |
New York | 7.65 | 621,244 | 621,244 |
New Jersey | 16.72 | 1,358,744 | 1,358,744 |
Delaware | 0.02 | 1,445 | 0 |
Maryland | 2.04 | 165,657 | 165,657 |
Virginia | 21.32 | 1,731,781 | 1,731,781 |
North Carolina | 27.44 | 2,229,709 | 2,229,709 |
Total | 100.00 | 8,124,035 | 8,124,035 |
*These quota values include 2014 and preliminary 2015 quota overages. These quota values also do not include quota transfers, please check the quota monitoring page for updates on quota transfers.
Recreational Harvest Limit (RHL): 5.42 million lb
How often do the quotas change for this fishery? Every year
What if specifications are not in place at the start of fishing year? In 1997, Judge Robert Dumar ordered that specifications publish before the fishing year begins.
Are there inseason adjustments (changes mid-fishing year) in this fishery? Yes, if a state commercial summer flounder quota is fully harvested, then that state’s summer flounder fishery will be closed. Additionally, states can transfer commercial quota between states to avoid exceeding state quotas.
Accountability Measures:
Commercial – All summer flounder landed for sale in a state shall be applied against that state’s annual commercial quota, regardless of where the summer flounder were harvested. Any landings in excess of the commercial quota in any state, inclusive of any state-to-state transfers, will be deducted from that state’s annual quota for the following year in the final rule that establishes the annual state-by-state quotas, irrespective of whether the commercial sector ACL is exceeded.
Recreational – The recreational sector ACL will be evaluated based on a 3-year moving average comparison of total catch (landings and dead discards). Both landings and dead discards will be evaluated in determining if the 3-year average recreational ACL has been exceeded. If available data indicate that the recreational sector ACL has been exceeded, the total catch exceeds the ABC, or the total catch exceeds the OFL, then a system of accountability measures will be used that are based on a combination of how high the overage is and what condition the stock is in. In other words, the status of the stock determines what type of management response would be implemented, including adjustment of management measures, scaled payback of overage, or pound-for-pound overage payback. These adjustments will be made in the following fishing year, or as soon as possible, as a single year adjustment.
Other: Not Applicable
Click Below for Past Quota Information:
Permit Categories
Permit Category | Type | Description | Permits Issued in 2014 | Number of Permits in Confirmation of Permit History* |
Category 1 | Commercial (Moratorium) | Vessel that fishes for, catches, possesses, transports, lands, sells, or trades summer flounder | 766 | 180 |
Category 2 | Recreational | Vessel that carries passengers for hire | 762 | Not Applicable |
*A Confirmation of Permit History allows a vessel owner to retain permit eligibility in the event the vessel has been destroyed or sold but the owner retains the permit eligibility. The permit in Confirmation of Permit History may then be placed on a vessel at a later date.
Control Date: January 26, 1990; Vessels with qualified landings between January 26, 1985, and January 26, 1990
Other Permit Information: Not Applicable
Commercial Operator Permit: Operator cards are required for any operator of a charter/party boat or a commercial vessel (including carrier and processor vessels) issued a vessel permit from the Greater Atlantic Region and fishing for or in possession of fish.
Commercial Dealer/Processor Permit: Summer flounder may be sold only to persons possessing a valid Federal summer flounder dealer permit.
How to Obtain a Federal Fishing Permit: Anyone with a valid vessel operator’s permit can obtain a Federal recreational summer flounder permit by submitting a permit application and supporting documentation to the Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office Permit Division.
Commercial (moratorium) permits have been managed under a limited entry system since 1993; no new moratorium permits are being issued.
More information can be found here.
Possession Limits and Fish Size Requirements
There is no possession limit for the commercial fishery unless using certain gear types (see the Gear tab) and also check state regulations.
Fish Size Limits:
Minimum Fish Size: 14 in total length (check state regulations)
Maximum Fish Size: None
Gear Requirements
Otter trawlers whose owners are issued a summer flounder permit and land at least 100 lb of summer flounder per trip from May 1 to October 31, or land at least 200 lb of summer flounder per trip from November 1 to April 30, must have a minimum mesh size of 5.5 in diamond mesh or 6 in square mesh applied throughout the net body, extension(s), and codend. Vessels not fishing under the above mesh requirements may retain no more than 100 lb from May 1 through October 31, and no more than 200 lb from November 1 through April 30.
Turtle Excluder Device (TED) – Summer flounder trawlers fishing within the Summer Flounder Fishery-Sea Turtle Protection Area are required to use a TED as detailed at 50 CFR part 223. Vessels fishing north of Oregon Inlet, NC, are exempted from this requirement from January 15 through March 15.
Summer Flounder Small Mesh Exemption Areas and Sea Turtle Protection Areas
Regulated, Closed, and Access Areas
Not Applicable
Days-At-Sea (DAS) Requirements
The summer flounder fishery is not managed by a DAS system. Please see the ‘Quota’ and ‘Limits/Sizes’ section of this webpage for more information on effort control in the summer flounder fishery.
Exempted Fisheries
Exempted fisheries allow fishing vessels to fish for specific species without being subject to certain Northeast (NE) multispecies regulations, including days-at-sea, provided the bycatch of regulated species is minimal. To be approved and implemented, exemption programs must have demonstrated that incidental catch of NE multispecies is less than 5 percent of the total catch, by weight, and that the exemption will not jeopardize fishing mortality objectives.
How to Request Fishery Exemptions
An exempted fishery may be added, deleted, or modified pursuant to the procedure described below:
- Applicants must submit a written request to the Regional Administrator, National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), 55 Great Republic Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930-2298. The request should describe the area in which the fishery would operate, the period in which it would operate, the gear it would use, the approximate number of vessels likely to participate, and the species it would target, retain, and land.
- Those proposing that a fishery should be exempt should describe the fishery and present all information possible that helps determine that the fishery meets the bycatch standard. The Regional Administrator will investigate NMFS data sources, but proposals for exemptions should be complete and clear to facilitate the process. State agencies and universities, for example, may have additional data available and applicants may contact them for assistance.
- When a request for an exempted fishery is submitted, the request and any accompanying data are reviewed by the Regional Administrator to determine whether such a fishery would meet the exemption qualifying criteria. The Regional Administrator will also consult with the New England Fishery Management Council on any exemptions requested. This process may take several months to complete.
The minimum mesh-size requirements specified in the ‘Gear’ section of this webpage do not apply to:
- Vessels that have a moratorium permit and are fishing from November 1 through April 30 in the exemption area. The exemption area is east of the line that follows 72°30.0’ W. longitude until it intersects the outer boundary of the economic exclusive zone. Participation requires a summer flounder small-mesh exemption area letter of authorization (LOA), which may be obtained by contacting the Greater Atlantic Region Permit Office at (987) 281-9224.
- Vessels fishing with a two-seam otter trawl fly net with the following configuration, provided that no other nets or netting with mesh smaller than 5.5 in are on board:
- Large mesh in the wings that measure 8 to 64 in;
- The belly of the net has 35 or more meshes that are at least 8 in; and
- The mesh decreases in size throughout the body of the net to 2 in or smaller.
Sumer Flounder Small Mesh Exemption Areas and Sea Turtle Protection Area
Protected Resource and Marine Mammal Regulations
It is illegal to harvest or possess protected species unless otherwise specified under the regulations implementing the Endangered Species Act or Marine Mammal Protection Act. Please see links below for more information or contact NMFS, Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office Protected Resources Division at (978) 281-9328.
Protected Fish Species
- Atlantic Sturgeon - Endangered and threatened
- Shortnose Sturgeon – Endangered
- Atlantic Salmon - The Gulf of Maine (GOM) distinct population segment (DPS) of Atlantic salmon is endangered.
Trawl
- Atlantic Trawl Gear Take Reduction Strategy
- Marine Mammal Authorization Program
- Reporting injured or dead marine mammal caught in fishing gear
- Annual Determination – Observer Requirements
- Handling and Resuscitation Requirements
- Summer Flounder Fishery Requirements
Trap/Pot
Possession Limits and Fish Size Requirements
As of June 19, 2015, the following measures are effective through December 31, 2015.
2015 State and Federal Recreational Management Measures for Summer Flounder
State | Minimum Size (inches) |
Possession Limit (number of fish) |
Open Season |
Massachusetts | 16 | 5 | May 22-September 23 |
Rhode Island | 18 | 8 | May 1-December 31 |
Connecticut* | 18 | 5 | May 17-September 21 |
New York | 18 | 5 | May 17-September 21 |
New Jersey* | 18 | 5 | May 23-September 26 |
Delaware | 16 | 4 | All year |
Maryland | 16 | 4 | All year |
PRFC | 16 | 4 | All year |
Virginia | 16 | 4 | All year |
North Carolina | 15 | 6 | All year |
*At 46 designated shore sites in CT, anglers may keep 5 fish at 16 inches, May 17-September 21.
*At 1 designated shore site in NJ, anglers may keep 2 fish at 16 inches, May 23-September 26.
Beginning January 1, 2016, the Federal waters measures will be 4 fish per person possession limit, 18 inch minimum size, May 1-September 30.
Gear Requirements
Not Applicable
Regulated, Closed, and Access Areas
Not Applicable
Days-At-Sea (DAS) Requirements
The summer flounder fishery is not managed by a DAS system. Please see the ‘Quota’ and ‘Limits/Sizes’ section of this webpage for more information on effort control in the summer flounder fishery.
Exempted Fisheries
Not Applicable
Protected Resource and Marine Mammal Regulations
Not Applicable
Commercial Reporting
Catch Reporting and Vessel Trip Reports (VTR): VTRs must be submitted with record of all fishing activity for each month. The reports must be submitted to NMFS or postmarked within 15 days after the end of the reporting month. Reports can also be submitted electronically at here. If no fishing activity took place during a fishing month, then a VTR must be submitted stating that no fishing trips were taken.
Interactive Voice Response (IVR) System Requirements: The summer flounder fishery does not have any IVR requirements. However, if you are participating in a research program such as research set-aside (RSA) or fishing with an exempted fishing permit (EFP), there are IVR requirements. Please refer to your RSA or EFP paperwork for instruction on using IVR.
Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) Requirements: The summer flounder fishery does not have any VMS requirements.
Observer Requirements: The summer flounder fishery does not have any specific observer requirements, however all federally permitted vessels are obligated to carry an observer if randomly selected by the National Observer Program.
Charter/Party and Recreational Reporting
Catch Reporting and Vessel Trip Reports (VTR): If the owner of a party or charter boat is issued only a summer flounder charter/party permit, and is carrying passengers for hire, then they must complete a VTR for each trip on which they land summer flounder.
Interactive Voice Response (IVR) System Requirements: The summer flounder fishery does not have any IVR requirements. However, if you are participating in a research program such as research set-aside (RSA) or fishing with an exempted fishing permit (EFP), there are IVR requirements. Please refer to your RSA or EFP paperwork for instruction on using IVR.
Additionally, the Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP) is a system of coordinated voluntary data collection programs designed to estimate recreational catch and effort.