Texas coastal anglers have just a few days remaining to legally harvest flounder before the state’s annual fall closure begins Sunday, Nov. 1.
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) reminds anglers that the recreational and commercial flounder fishery will be closed Nov. 1 through Dec. 14, 2026, with the season reopening Dec. 15.
During the closure, the daily bag limit is zero. Until the closure begins, recreational anglers may retain five flounder per day, with a minimum length of 15 inches. These regulations apply to all flounder species, including hybrids and subspecies.
The closure is designed to protect southern flounder during their annual fall migration from Texas bays into the Gulf, where spawning takes place.
Fall has traditionally been one of the most productive periods for Texas flounder anglers. As water temperatures decline, mature fish begin moving toward Gulf passes, concentrating around channels, bay mouths and other migration routes.
However, concerns about declining southern flounder populations prompted Texas fisheries managers to implement more restrictive regulations. The annual fall closure began in 2021, providing protection for mature fish during this important stage of their life cycle.
Female flounder are particularly important to the fishery because they grow substantially larger than males and make up most of the legal-sized fish harvested by anglers. Protecting these fish during their migration gives more females an opportunity to reach offshore spawning grounds.
Louisiana Flounder Season Already Closed
Anglers fishing neighboring Louisiana waters should be aware that the state’s southern flounder season has already been closed for nearly two weeks.
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) implements an annual statewide closure from Oct. 15 through Nov. 30, meaning the 2026 season will reopen Dec. 1.
Louisiana’s closure applies to recreational and commercial harvest, all gear types and southern flounder caught incidentally while targeting other species.
LDWF has emphasized that the closure also applies to commercial shrimping operations. Previous exemptions allowing southern flounder to be retained as shrimping bycatch no longer apply during the closed season because the southern flounder stock is considered overfished.
Louisiana’s regulations are intended to allow mature female flounder to leave inshore waters and migrate offshore to spawn without being subjected to harvest during this critical period.
The different closure dates are especially important for anglers along the Texas-Louisiana border who regularly fish both states.
While Texas anglers can continue legally harvesting flounder through Saturday, Oct. 31, Louisiana anglers must release southern flounder caught during the state’s existing closure.
Both states recognize the importance of protecting spawning females, although their respective management agencies have established different seasonal closure periods.
For Texas anglers, the message is simple: Saturday is the final day to legally harvest flounder before the fall closure.
Anglers should consult the current regulations before fishing, particularly when crossing state lines or targeting flounder near coastal passes.
The conservation measures are intended to give more southern flounder the opportunity to reproduce and help sustain one of the Gulf Coast’s most popular inshore fisheries for future generations.