UTERFlounder fishing in Charlotte Harbor
In Charlotte Harbor, flounder peak April–May and October–November and are around year-round, spawning in November, according to Fish Scouter's month-by-month season calendar. November: Out through Boca Grande, Captiva and the Sanibel passes on the outgoing.
Snook reopens; reds, trout, kings and Spanish — the fall peak. Snook harvest reopens the 1st. Reds schooled, trout on every flat, kings and Spanish on the outside reefs, flounder staging at the passes.
Flounder in Charlotte Harbor, month by month
- JanuaryAroundSnook and reds deep in the creeks; sheepshead on the docks. Up the rivers and creeks for snook on the warmest days, docks and pilings for sheepshead, deep grass edges for trout.
- FebruaryAround
- MarchArriving
- AprilPeak
- MayPeak
- JuneAround
- JulyAround
- AugustAround
- SeptemberArriving
- OctoberPeakSnook reopens; reds, trout, kings and Spanish — the fall peak. Snook harvest reopens the 1st. Reds schooled, trout on every flat, kings and Spanish on the outside reefs, flounder staging at the passes.
- NovemberSpawningOut through Boca Grande, Captiva and the Sanibel passes on the outgoing.
- DecemberAroundFirst fronts: fish the creeks, rivers and the afternoon shorelines. After each front, the creeks and rivers; between fronts, the flats on the afternoon incoming. Sheepshead on the docks and reefs.
Where to fish flounder near Englewood, Boca Grande, Punta Gorda
Boca Grande Pass and the mangrove sounds behind it — Charlotte Harbor, Pine Island Sound, Matlacha, the Caloosahatchee, Estero Bay — miles of mangrove shoreline, oyster bars, sand holes in the grass, and long barrier-island beaches from Gasparilla to Sanibel.
Fish Scouter charts 137 dock / pilings, 30 beach / surf, 17 pass / inlet spots in the Charlotte Harbor & the Islands map area — the kinds flounder hold on.
What to use for flounder
- Mud minnows (killifish)Lip-hooked on a jig head or a 1/0 hook dragged along the bottom — the flounder bait.
- Finger mulletLip-hooked on a 2/0 to 4/0 circle hook and free-lined, or on a fish-finder rig in the surf. Cut mullet on the bottom for redfish and drum.
- Live shrimpUnder a popping cork or free-lined, hooked under the horn on a #1 to 2/0 circle hook; on a jig head for the bottom. The universal inshore bait.
- PinfishHooked through the back ahead of the dorsal on a 2/0 to 4/0 circle hook; the small ones free-lined, the big ones on a fish-finder rig.
- Leader20–30 lb fluorocarbon
- Hook1/0–2/0
- Jig head1/4–1/2 oz
- Braid10–20 lb
Feeds in 54–82°F water, best at 60–75°F.
Questions anglers ask
When is the best time to catch flounder in Charlotte Harbor?
Peak season is April–May and October–November, with fish spawning in November (often a closed or catch-and-release window — check the rule). Flounder are here year-round. November: Out through Boca Grande, Captiva and the Sanibel passes on the outgoing.
Where do flounder hold in Charlotte Harbor?
Look on channel edge, dock / pilings, pass / inlet, beach / surf — around Englewood, Boca Grande, Punta Gorda, Pine Island, Fort Myers, Naples.
What is the best bait for flounder in Charlotte Harbor?
Live bait: mud minnows (killifish), finger mullet, live shrimp, pinfish. Mud minnows (killifish): Lip-hooked on a jig head or a 1/0 hook dragged along the bottom — the flounder bait. Tackle: leader 20–30 lb fluorocarbon, hook 1/0–2/0, jig head 1/4–1/2 oz, braid 10–20 lb.
What are the rules for flounder in Charlotte Harbor?
Size and bag limits and closed seasons are set by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and change — read the current rule at https://myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/recreational/ before you keep a fish. A licence is sold at https://myfwc.com/license/recreational/.
Fish it with the tide in your pocket
Fish Scouter scores flounder for this hour on this water, draws every reef, wreck and access point near you, and keeps your spots. $9.99 a month, 14 days free.
Start 14 free daysMore
All about flounder · Charlotte Harbor & the Islands, the whole year