Fall Flounder Fishing
in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach
After a decade of limited angler success, Alabama’s flounder population is experiencing an encouraging rebound, providing an opportunity to catch one of the best-tasting inshore species around. One of the best times to catch flounder on Alabama’s Beaches is during their fall migration from bays and estuaries toward offshore spawning grounds, typically from October to December, when fish often concentrate in the channels and passes leading to the Gulf.
Flounder Quick Facts
Fall migration period: Generally, October through December
November harvest closure: The recreational and commercial harvest is closed
Minimum size: 14 inches total length
Daily limit: Five per person
Common habitat: Passes, channels, jetties, pilings and other bottom structure
Popular bait: Bull minnows, shrimp, and scented soft plastics
When is the Fall Flounder Run in Alabama?
As fall weather arrives, flounder move from bays and estuaries towards the Gulf. This migration usually occurs from October through December on the Alabama Gulf Coast, but its timing can vary due to cold fronts and water temperatures.
Alabama Flounder Season & Fishing Regulations
As we head into the fall, don’t forget that recreational and commercial flounder harvest in Alabama is closed for the entire month of November to protect the spawning migration. You can still target flounder in October and December, which are prime months for catching this species. Alabama’s saltwater fishing regulations include a daily creel limit of five flounder per person and a 14-inch minimum total length. Most visitors fishing from shore, a public pier or a private boat need an Alabama saltwater fishing license, while passengers on a licensed charter boat are generally covered by the boat’s license.
Where to Catch Flounder on Alabama's Beaches
Channels, Passes & Choke Points
Flounder like channels, passes and other choke points. Little Lagoon Pass and Perdido Pass are two local spots where anglers can target flounder around moving water and structure. When a friend and I were fishing between a seawall and a row of jetties, we found one spot where we hooked a flounder almost every time our cast was in the correct 2-foot-wide area at the end of the jetties. The flounder were stacked up along the bottom, waiting to ambush baitfish and crustaceans. We ended up putting a limit of fish in the boat in short order.
Piers, Pilings, Jetties & Seawalls
Flounder prefer structures like jetties, piers, bulkheads or pilings. They are ambush predators, which means they aren’t going to chase the bait like other inshore species. Finding the right spots and making accurate casts to their likely hangouts will increase your chances of success.
The Gulf State Park Pier can be a productive flounder spot when anglers drop bull minnows straight down beside the pier's pilings. Perdido Pass Seawall and Fort Morgan Fishing Pier are a couple of other public-access spots anglers can try for flounder.
Southern Flounder vs. Gulf Flounder: What’s the Difference?
The two most likely species encountered in Alabama’s coastal waters are the southern flounder (larger and more common) and the Gulf flounder. Gulf flounder are more commonly found along the beaches. They can be identified by their distinctive eye-like spots and usually their smaller size. The southern flounder is darker and more mottled and gets much larger. The Alabama state record southern flounder is a whopping 13 pounds, 3 ounces, caught in 1975 by my late fishing pal Pete Melech.
Best Bait, Lures & Tackle for Catching Flounder
Live Bait & Flounder Rigs
Some anglers target flounder with live bull minnows if they can get them, fished on light tackle with a small (as small as the tide allows) lead sinker above a swivel with a couple of feet of leader. A Kahle hook does a better job of hooking the fish, but don’t go very large with the hook size because flounder have relatively small mouths. Drop the bull minnows around any inshore structure and slowly drag the bait along the bottom through likely ambush areas.
Other live bait will work on flounder, but just about everything in saltwater will eat a live or fresh dead shrimp, so you could go through quite a bit of bait before you hook anything you want to throw in the ice chest.
Artificial Lures
At times, artificial lures work like a charm, especially those like the Berkley Gulp with scent embedded in the plastic. Of course, I’ve seen times when just a regular H&H Cocahoe Minnow or Lunker City Fin-S-Fish will work as well as anything. Add a strip of flounder or baitfish belly to the jig to further entice the flounder. Use a jighead heavy enough to maintain bottom contact without making the retrieve look unnatural.
Rod, Reel & Line Setup
I fish with a 7-foot medium action spinning rod and a 2500-size spinning reel with 12-15-pound monofilament or braided line. If you use monofilament, you shouldn't need a leader. If you use braided line, you need about 2 feet of 15-pound fluorocarbon leader. Many flounder are caught on 1/4 ounce jigs with plastic minnow-shaped plastic bodies, but the best way for newcomers is to find a bait shop with bull minnows. You can also use live shrimp, but everything eats shrimp, so you're going to probably lose a lot of bait. With live bait, go with a slip sinker (1/4-1/2 ounce, depending on the current) tied to a black swivel with an 18-inch leader tied to a #2 Kahle hook or 1/0 circle hook. If you use a circle hook, use a steady retrieve to set the hook instead of yanking the rod backward.
Fall Flounder Fishing Techniques
Keep Bait & Lures Close to the Bottom
Flounder rest along the bottom and typically strike prey that pass within reach. When targeting flounder, let the bait or lure sink, cast slightly up current and work it slowly through the target area using gentle drags or short hops. Keep in mind the sinker or jighead weight may need to be adjusted as the current changes, so the presentation stays near the bottom without appearing unnatural.
Hooking & Landing Flounder
Because a flounder’s mouth is small, the fish can come unhooked right at the boat, breaking your heart. Therefore, when flounder fishing, have your landing net ready and don’t hesitate to get it under the fish as quickly as possible. I once had one hooked that was so big that it fit into the doormat category. It came off just as my partner tried to get the net under it and swam away. I will never forget that fish.
How to Prepare Your Flounder Catch
As far as eating, the mild, white flesh can be prepared several ways, including fried flounder fillets, whole fried flounder and grilled flounder. Frying battered fresh flounder fillets is always a great option, or you can cut a crisscross pattern in the fish and fry it whole. You can also grill that same scored flounder, and I like to dust it with Cavender’s Greek Seasoning and then add a drizzle of olive oil. When the grill is hot, place the fish on aluminum foil. Sometimes I use Tony Chachere’s, and Heath Riles makes a great Garlic Butter seasoning. When the fish flakes in the thickest area, it’s time to dine on one of the premier inshore species on the Gulf Coast. Visitors can also take a legally harvested catch to a participating cook your catch restaurant for local preparation.
Plan a Fall Fishing Trip to Alabama’s Beaches
Don’t put your rods away when summer ends. Fall is a fantastic time of year to fish in Gulf Shores, Orange Beach or Fort Morgan. The uncrowded shores allow anglers to cast off into the surf or from a pier. If you prefer to hit the water, bring your vessel for a boat-friendly beach trip or book a local charter and cast off for flounder!
David Rainer
David Rainer has written about the great outdoors on the Alabama Gulf Coast for more than 20 years. For 14 of those years, he covered the many fishing opportunities on the Gulf Coast as outdoors editor at the Mobile Press-Register. He is past president of the Southeastern Outdoor Press Association and currently serves on the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council's Outreach and Education Advisory Panel and the Alabama Gulf Coast Reef & Restoration Foundation board.
