Flounder size and catch limits raised in South Carolina

The minimum size limit for Flounder has been raised in South Carolina from 12 to 14 inches. That may not sound like a lot but every inch helps in the fight to keep our Flounder population numbers up. We are lucky in South Carolina to have such low size limits. In the state of Delaware the minimum size limit is 19.5 inches! Bear in mind that we have 3 Flounder species found in our waters: the Southern Flounder is predominant, the Gulf Flounder, and the Summer Flounder. Male Southern Flounder typically do not grow beyond 14 inches in their lifetime, while other flounder species and female Southern Flounder grow larger. Female Southern Flounder reach sexual maturity at 16 inches and 2 years, sometimes sooner, and spawn in the Fall so it is important to protect the smaller females and allow as many as possible to spawn offshore at the end of the year.

In South Carolina Flounder may be caught on rod and reel or by gigging. Gigging is spearing the fish in shallow inlet waters. It is usually done at night using powerful lights to reveal the silhouette of the fish on the bottom. Giggers need to be mindful of size limits because once you gig it, it's yours.