2008 Flounder Size Limits - New Map Available

[Dave]

As all should know by now, the flounder minimum size limits have changed for 2008, to 14" (Internal) and 15-1/2" (Ocean). The size limits are easy enough to understand but the zones have always been difficult to interpret for most fisherman, myself included. This year the NCDMF has published a new and much easier (to read) map of the 2008 size limit zones.

For us "Crystal Coast" fisherman, the "internal" zone break is the Core Creek Bridge on Hwy 101 that crosses the intercoastal waterway. All flounder caught south of the bridge must be a minimum of 15-1/2" long.

All flounder North of the bridge, including all of the Neuse River and it tributaries, the min size limit is 14". Fishermen would have to travel some 17 miles east, toward Pamlico Sound, from the north end of Core Creek before they would enter the 15-1/2" zone.

The 15-1/2" size limit extends southwest, along the coast, all the way to Brown's Inlet, some 8 miles below Bogue Inlet. Bogue Inlet is in the vicinity of Emerald Isle/Swansboro, NC, which is the southern limit of the "Crystal Coast", for the purposes of the CCC of CSO.

For further details, you can view the official map by clicking on the link below:

http://www.ncfisheries.net/download/Flounder_Size_Limit_Guide.pdf

Dave

[Gunnar]

Thanks Dave,
A word of caution to all fishing for flounder and crossing these imaginary boundaries. If you catch and keep legal flounder say 15" up the Nuese river and then travel down to Beaufort and get stopped there by a wildlife officer you are going to get ticketed for having a undersized fish.:eek: I asked an officer about this last year and that is what he told me would happen. So for me personally I won't keep a flounder under 15 1/2" this year because I often cross these boundaries on a single fishing trip. *014*
Gregg