Flounder Season Halts for Six Weeks

Texas Parks and Wildlife has suspended fishing for southern flounder for a period of six weeks. The temporary closure took effect on Sunday and will remain in place until the season resumes on Dec. 15. Officials designated this interval to coincide with the species' prime reproductive cycle.

Kelley Kowal, the regional director of the coastal fisheries division, described the measure as neither new nor unusual. The agency has implemented this specific closure for roughly the past six years. The primary goal is to stabilize the population by allowing mature females to reproduce without the pressure of being targeted by anglers.

Southern flounder rank as the third most popular recreational catch in Texas bays and estuaries. These fish spend most of their year in shallow waters before migrating to the open Gulf of Mexico to spawn in the fall. They are the largest of more than 50 bottom-dwelling flatfish species in the Gulf, with mature females reaching lengths of up to 25 inches. This size is nearly twice that of an average male.

In the days leading up to the ban, social media platforms filled with posts from fishing guides and charter services. Operators urged customers to book final trips before the deadline. Galveston Saltwater Charters reported heavy activity at the Texas City Dike on Friday morning. They also highlighted catches from Thursday evening, describing the fish as absolute doormats.

Galveston Flounder Company, a species-specific charter, shared images from a trip the evening before the closure. The post noted that the crew landed a half-dozen healthy specimens on Galveston Bay. The agency set the rules for the resuming season. Anglers will face a bag limit of five fish per day and a minimum size requirement of 15 inches.