UTERSummer flounder fishing in Outer Banks & Hatteras
In Outer Banks & Hatteras, summer flounder peak May–September and are around April–October, according to Fish Scouter's month-by-month season calendar. June: Inlet channels and the nearshore wrecks; bucktail tipped with a strip.
Leaving the inlets for the offshore wrecks.
Summer flounder in Outer Banks & Hatteras, month by month
- JanuaryNot here
- FebruaryNot here
- MarchNot here
- AprilArrivingFluke show in Oregon and Hatteras inlets.
- MayPeak
- JunePeakInlet channels and the nearshore wrecks; bucktail tipped with a strip.
- JulyPeak
- AugustPeakPeak Pamlico drum and tarpon; white marlin start. Maw Point and the lower Neuse for drum on the bait balls; marlin off Oregon Inlet.
- SeptemberPeakShort harvest window in early September — check NCDMF.
- OctoberLeavingLeaving the inlets for the offshore wrecks.
- NovemberNot here
- DecemberNot here
Where to fish summer flounder near Ocracoke, Hatteras, Buxton
A hundred and twenty miles of barrier island — Ocracoke, Hatteras, Pea Island, Bodie, the northern beaches — with Cape Point at Buxton where the Gulf Stream and the Labrador Current meet, three inlets (Ocracoke, Hatteras, Oregon), and behind them Pamlico, Croatan and Albemarle sounds and the Neuse and Pamlico rivers. The Gulf Stream runs 20 miles off Oregon Inlet.
Fish Scouter charts 267 wreck, 207 artificial reef spots in the The Outer Banks map area — the kinds summer flounder hold on.
What to use for summer flounder
- Mud minnows (killifish)Lip-hooked on a jig head or a 1/0 hook dragged along the bottom — the flounder bait.
- SquidStrips on a bottom rig for snapper, grunts and porgies; whole on a deep-drop rig.
- Menhaden (pogies)Nose-hooked on a circle hook and free-lined or slow-trolled; cut in chunks for the bottom.
- Sand eelsFree-lined or on a light jig head for stripers, fluke and bluefish; strips teased on a fluke rig.
- Leader20–40 lb fluorocarbon
- Hook#1–4/0
- Jig head1/8–1/2 oz
- Braid10–30 lb
Feeds in 56–80°F water, best at 62–74°F.
Questions anglers ask
When is the best time to catch summer flounder in Outer Banks & Hatteras?
Peak season is May–September. Summer flounder are in Outer Banks & Hatteras April–October. June: Inlet channels and the nearshore wrecks; bucktail tipped with a strip.
Where do summer flounder hold in Outer Banks & Hatteras?
Look on channel edge, pass / inlet, beach / surf, artificial reef, wreck, bridge, fishing pier, grass flat — around Ocracoke, Hatteras, Buxton, Avon, Rodanthe, Oregon Inlet.
What is the best bait for summer flounder in Outer Banks & Hatteras?
Live bait: mud minnows (killifish), squid, menhaden (pogies), sand eels. Mud minnows (killifish): Lip-hooked on a jig head or a 1/0 hook dragged along the bottom — the flounder bait. Tackle: leader 20–40 lb fluorocarbon, hook #1–4/0, jig head 1/8–1/2 oz, braid 10–30 lb.
What are the rules for summer flounder in Outer Banks & Hatteras?
Size and bag limits and closed seasons are set by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) and change — read the current rule at https://www.deq.nc.gov/about/divisions/marine-fisheries/rules-proclamations-and-size-and-bag-limits before you keep a fish. A licence is sold at https://www.ncwildlife.org/licensing.
Fish it with the tide in your pocket
Fish Scouter scores summer 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 summer flounder · The Outer Banks, the whole year