Recreational anglers are being asked to donate carcasses of legally harvested Gulf flounder to the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries during the 2026 spring season.
Carcasses will be used for research purposes. Biologists with the division will measure each fish, determine the sex of each fish when possible, and remove the otoliths, or ear bones, to determine the age of each fish.
Supporter Spotlight
During the recreational harvesting season, which is March 9-22 in ocean waters from Portsmouth Island to the South Carolina line, anglers who donate legally harvested Gulf flounder carcasses and complete the required catch-card (one person per fish, per card) will be entered to win one of five tackle bags filled with fishing gear and more.
Flounder are one of five species anglers are now required to report under a new state law.
Carcass donations may be dropped at one of the division’s Carcass Collection Program’s eight freezer locations.
Those locations include:
- Cape Pointe Marina, 1390 Island Road, Harkers Island.
- Chasin Tails Outdoors Bait & Tackle, 709 Atlantic Beach Causeway, Atlantic Beach.
- N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries Headquarters, 3441 Arendell St., Morehead City.
- Pelagic Hunter, 104 James St., Sneads Ferry.
- Tex’s Tackle, 215 Old Eastwood Road, Wilmington.
- Carolina Beach Municipal Docks, Carl Winner Drive, Carolina Beach.
- Clem’s Seafood, 4351 Long Beach Road SE, Southport.
- Ocean Isle Fishing Center, 65 Causeway Drive, Ocean Isle Beach.
Donation supplies and catch-cards are available at each donation site. Anglers must complete the entire catch-card legibly, completely and truthfully to be eligible to win.
Supporter Spotlight
Anglers should leave the head and tail intact and, if possible, not remove the guts/reproductive organs when cleaning their fish.
Those who fish on a charter boat or head boat should let the fish cleaner know that a carcass will be donated.
The minimum size limit for Gulf flounder in North Carolina is 15 inches total length.
Recreational anglers who harvest Gulf flounder in federal waters and bring the fish back to North Carolina must meet the state’s season, size and possession limits.
Additional specific information is available under Proclamation FF-13-2026.
For more information about North Carolina’s Carcass Collection program, contact Amanda Macek, Division sportfishing specialist, at 252-515-5537 or amanda.macek@deq.nc.gov.
