Recreational anglers who plan to fish the upcoming flounder season may donate carcasses to the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries for a chance to win a prize.
The division said it will use the donated flounder carcasses for research purposes.
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Participating anglers during the 2026 season, set for Sept. 1-14 in joint and coastal waters, must complete the required catch card (one person per fish per card) legibly and truthfully to be entered to win one of five tackle bags filled with fishing line, lures and swag.
Catch cards and donation supplies are located at year-round and temporary division carcass donation sites.
Year-round donation locations include the following:
- Cape Pointe Marina, 1390 Island Road, Harkers Island.
- Clem’s Seafood, 4351 Long Beach Road SE, Southport.
- Eastern Outfitters, 21241 Suite 01 U.S. 17, Hampstead.
- Eastside Bait & Tackle, 1218 John Small Ave., Washington.
- Frisco Rod & Gun, 53610 N.C. 12, Frisco.
- Jennette’s Pier, 7223 S. Virginia Dare Trail, Nags Head.
- N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries Headquarters, 3441 Arendell St, Morehead City.
Temporary sites include the following:
- Carolina Beach Municipal Docks, Carl Winner Drive, Carolina Beach.
- Chasin’ Tails Outdoors Bait & Tackle, 709 Atlantic Beach Causeway, Atlantic Beach.
- Intracoastal Angler, 6332 Oleander Drive, Wilmington.
- Ocean Isle Fishing Center, 65 Causeway Drive, Ocean Isle Beach.
- Quarter Deck, 503 Carteret St., Bath.
Anglers must leave the head and tail intact when cleaning a fish to donate. If possible, fishers should also leave the guts and reproductive organs in the fish. Anyone who fishes for flounder on a charter boat or heat boat should inform the fish cleaner that the carcass will be donated.
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Donated flounder will be measured and a division biologist will determine with sex, if possible, and remove the otoliths, or ear bones, to determine the fish’s age. Division officials will use the information to inform future flounder stock assessments.
The 2026 recreational flounder season opens at 12:01 a.m. Sept. 1 and closes at 11:59 p.m. Sept. 14. Anglers may keep one fish per person per day. The minimum size limit is 15 inches total length.
Division biologists will obtain information from commercially caught flounder at fish houses. Flounder carcasses caught by commercial fishermen should not be left in the division’s Carcass Collection Program freezers.
Contact Amanda Macek, division sportfishing specialist, at 252-515-5537 or Amanda.Macek@deq.nc.gov for additional information.
