Last updated: October 20, 2026, 4:48 PM CDT

Southern flounder in Texas: where, when & how to catch them

Southern flounder are some of the best-eating fish on the Texas coast, and you can catch them with rod and reel or gig them at night in the shallows. Texas has a fall closure for flounder (Nov. 1–Dec. 14), so check the dates before you go.

Also called flounder, flatfish.

How to identify flounder

A flatfish that lies and swims on its side along the bottom. In southern flounder the left side is always the 'up' side, with both eyes on it.
The up side changes color to match the bottom; the underside is pale.
TPWD says southern flounder are the largest of more than 25 flatfish species in Texas coastal waters and make up more than 95 percent of the state's flounder harvest.
Females grow much larger than males. Males seldom pass 12 inches, while females often reach 25 inches.

Source: TPWD: Southern flounder.

Where to find flounder in Texas

Young flounder enter the bays in late winter and early spring and settle in shallow, grassy areas near the Gulf passes; some move farther into the bays, rivers and bayous. Adults lie on the bottom, often partly buried, and ambush prey, moving into shallow water at night to feed. Because they don't swim continuously, they tend to gather around structure that reaches from shore into the bay, such as jetties and oyster reefs. In the fall, adults leave the bays for the Gulf to spawn in 50 to 100 feet of water, and the best rod-and-reel catches then come from the channels and passes leading to the Gulf. Some adults winter in the bays, and fish that left return gradually in spring.

Source: TPWD: Southern flounder.

Texas bay systems

Flounder are found in every Texas bay system. Our bay pages have the NWS marine forecast, NOAA tides, water temperature, wind and sun & moon times.

Flounder month by month

General Texas patterns. Timing shifts by a few weeks from north to south and from year to year, and fronts, rain, wind and water temperature move fish day to day.

Month	What fish are typically doing
January	Most adults are in the Gulf; some winter in the bays. Slow, bottom-hugging presentations in deeper channels and bayous.
February	Like January. Young flounder start entering the bays in late winter.
March	Spring return begins. TPWD says wading anglers work the edges of channels, such as the Intracoastal Waterway, as fish move back into the bays.
April	Flounder spread through the bays: channel edges, drains, shorelines with cordgrass and mouths of small bayous.
May	Back bays and marsh drains; night gigging in shallow, slightly muddy areas picks up.
June	Spring and summer are the best gigging months in the back bays, per TPWD. Rod and reel around jetties, reefs and drains.
July	Summer pattern: drains, reefs and jetties by day; shallow flats at night. Calm, dark nights are best for gigging.
August	Like July. Look for flounder 'beds' (depressions in the bottom) in the shallows.
September	Fish start staging as the first fronts arrive; drains and passes improve.
October (now)	The fall run: flounder move toward the Gulf, and channels and passes produce the best catches. Remember the season closes Nov. 1.
November	CLOSED: no flounder may be kept Nov. 1–Dec. 14 (bag limit 0), by any method.
December	CLOSED through Dec. 14. From Dec. 15, the 5-fish daily bag returns; most adults are in the Gulf.

Proven baits and techniques

Live shrimp: TPWD says flounder prefer live bait to dead. Retrieve live shrimp slowly along the bottom.
Mud minnows (killifish): Fished the same way, slowly on the bottom.
Leaded plastic worms (worm jigs): Often very effective over bare bottom.
Shallow-running spoons: Best in heavily vegetated areas.
Gigging at night: Wade or pole a skiff through the shallows with a light on calm, dark nights, ideally on an incoming tide. Stingrays use the same shallows, so make sure of what you've gigged before you lift it.

Source: TPWD: Southern flounder (how and where to catch).

Texas flounder limits (statewide)

Daily bag	5 (all flounder species combined)
Minimum length	15 inches
Maximum length	None
Fall closure	Nov. 1 – Dec. 14: fishery closed, bag limit 0
Possession	Equal to the daily bag

Valid Sept. 1, 2026 through Aug. 31, 2027 (checked Oct. 20, 2026). TPWD is the authority, and limits can change. See our License & regulations guide for licenses, tags and how to check a specific bay.

Source: TPWD: Flounder bag and length limits.

Records

For Texas state records by category, search TPWD's official fish records.

Source: TPWD: Fish records.

Gear for flounder

TPWD says light tackle offers both the most sport and the best chance of catching flounder. A 7' medium-light to medium inshore spinning rod with a 2500–3000 size reel works for slow-dragging jigs and live bait. If you wade or gig at night, stingray protection comes first.

Source: TPWD: Southern flounder (how and where to catch).

Examples from our comparisons (specs and dated manufacturer prices are on the comparison pages):

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Flounder FAQ

When is flounder season closed in Texas?

From Nov. 1 through Dec. 14 the flounder fishery is closed and the bag limit is 0. The rest of the year the daily bag is 5 flounder with a 15-inch minimum length, and the possession limit equals the daily bag (valid Sept. 1, 2026 through Aug. 31, 2027).

What is the best bait for flounder?

TPWD says flounder prefer live bait to dead. Live shrimp or mud minnows retrieved slowly along the bottom work well, and leaded plastic worms (worm jigs) are effective over bare bottom.

Where do flounder go in the fall?

Adult southern flounder leave the bays in the fall to spawn in the Gulf, so TPWD says the best fall catches come from the channels and passes leading to the Gulf.

More species: Largemouth bass · Crappie · Catfish (blue, channel & flathead) · White bass · Striped bass · Red drum (redfish) · Spotted seatrout (speckled trout) · Black drum