Flounder
Flatfish
A flattened, roughly diamond-shaped fish lying on its right side, with both eyes on the upper (usually right) side. Colouring is a mottled olive-brown, camouflaged to match sand or mud.
Facts
- The hardiest UK flatfish, tolerating brackish and even near-fresh water — commonly caught well up estuaries and rivers.
- Lies buried in sand or mud with only its eyes exposed, ambushing small prey that passes overhead.
- A reliable year-round catch on light tackle, especially over muddy estuary flats at low water.
UK fishing rules
No statutory UK-wide recreational size limit currently applies to flounder.
Where to catch Flounder (82 marks)
| Mark | Region | Season | Method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aberaeron | Wales | Sep–Mar | Lugworm or ragworm fished hard on the bottom over sand/silt inside the harbour mouth. |
| Aberdeen Beach | Scotland | May–Sep | Ragworm fished close in |
| Aldeburgh Beach | East | Autumn | Bait fished at low water |
| Amble Harbour | North East | May–Sep | Ragworm and mackerel bait fished close to the pier |
| Amroth | Wales | Sep–Apr | worm bait fished hard on the bottom, plentiful in spring |
| Ballycastle | N. Ireland | All year | Worm bait fished close in |
| Balnakeil Bay, Durness | Scotland | Spring–Autumn | Light beach gear with worm bait cast onto clean sand |
| Bamburgh Beach | North East | Jun–Sep | Light leger tackle over the sand |
| Barmouth Bridge & Harbour | Wales | Sep–Mar | Ragworm or small crab on light running leger rigs from the harbour edge and estuary shoreline. |
| Barry Island (Whitmore Bay) | Wales | Sep–Apr (flounder), Apr–Sep (plaice) | worm bait fished on the bottom over the sand |
| Beadnell Harbour | North East | Summer–Autumn | Bait or lures around the harbour and sand |
| Bognor Regis Pier | South East | Year-round | Small-hook rigs with worm bait |
| Borth | Wales | Year-round, peak Mar–May | Lugworm or ragworm fished close in on the drop of the tide, especially near stream outfalls. |
| Brightlingsea (Bateman's Tower) | East | Autumn | Bait fished at low water |
| Broadstairs Viking Bay | South East | Oct-Mar | Small hooks, worm bait, low water |
| Broughty Ferry Pier & Castle Green | Scotland | Apr–Oct | Worm bait fished on the bottom either side of the pier. |
| Bude Breakwater | South West | All year | Lug/rag on 2-hook flapper |
| Caernarfon | Wales | Sep–Mar | worm bait fished hard on the bottom in the harbour |
| Camber Sands | South East | All year | Rag/lug fished close in |
| Canvey Island (The Point) | East | Winter and summer | Bait fished at low water |
| Cardiff Bay Barrage | Wales | Sep–Apr (flounder), spring/summer (plaice) | flapper rigs with worm, squid, crab or fish cast into the channel |
| Carnoustie Beach | Scotland | Apr–Oct | Small hooks with lugworm or ragworm over sand, fish close to any gullies. |
| Christchurch Harbour (Mudeford Quay) | South West | Oct–Feb | Ragworm on a running leger fished off the quay wall |
| Conwy Quay | Wales | Sep–Mar | small hooks with ragworm or lugworm over mixed ground in the channel |
| Crooklets Beach | South West | Oct–Mar | Small strips of worm on a light flapper rig, fished close in around low water on the incoming tide. |
| Eastbourne Seafront | South East | Oct–Feb | Lug/squid cocktail cast from the beach after dark |
| Exmouth Beach & Exe Estuary Mouth | South West | Sep–Feb | Crab or worm fished hard on the bottom off the clock tower area and lower estuary as water cools. |
| Eyemouth Harbour & Gunsgreen Point | Scotland | May–Sep | Peeler crab fished inside the harbour |
| Findhorn Beach | Scotland | Sep–Mar | Small baited rigs fished in the bay's sheltered channels |
| Fisherrow Harbour, Musselburgh | Scotland | Apr–Oct | Worm bait fished in the lagoon shallows or estuary mouth on a rising tide. |
| Freshwater West | Wales | Sep–Feb | Worm bait fished in the sandy gullies at low water, best on a settled low-water spring. |
| Girvan Harbour | Scotland | Apr–Oct | Small hooks with worm bait fished close to the harbour bed and river mouth. |
| Herne Bay | South East | Mar–May | Rag/lug close in around the estuary mouth |
| Hunstanton Cliffs & Beach | East | Aug–Dec | Lugworm fished hard on the deck from the open beach |
| Kilkeel Harbour | N. Ireland | All year | Worm bait fished close in |
| Kirkcaldy Esplanade & Harbour | Scotland | Apr–Oct | Worm bait fished around the harbour end and the old collapsed harbour, best in a bit of surf. |
| Kirkcudbright Harbour | Scotland | Apr–Oct | Worm baits fished on the bottom close to the harbour bed. |
| Littlehampton West Beach & East Bank | South East | Oct-Feb | Small hooks, worm bait, upriver of the harbour |
| Llandudno Pier | Wales | Sep–Mar (historic) | Simple bottom rigs with worm or fish bait over sand near the pier legs. |
| Lossiemouth East Beach | Scotland | Sep–Mar | Small baited rigs fished close to the river mouth |
| Luce Bay (Sandhead) | Scotland | Sep–Mar | Small hooks and worm/peeler crab fished close in, especially around burn mouths. |
| Lymington Town Quay & Pennington Wall | South East | Oct-Jan | Small hooks with worm bait, best condition through this period |
| Maldon Promenade Park | East | Autumn | Bait fished on the bottom, though numbers have declined in recent years |
| Milford Haven | Wales | Sep–Mar (flounder), Jun–Sep (mullet) | worm bait for flounder on the bottom, float-fished bread for mullet |
| Montrose Harbour | Scotland | Apr–Oct | Small hooks with worm on light gear in the basin shallows. |
| Nairn Beach | Scotland | All year, best Apr–Oct | Fish or worm bait fished on rotten-bottom rigs to survive the snags |
| Newbiggin-by-the-Sea | North East | Autumn–Winter | Light leger tackle over the sand |
| Newcastle Harbour, Co. Down | N. Ireland | All year | Worm bait fished on the sand toward Dundrum Bay |
| Northcott Mouth | South West | All year | Rag/lug close in |
| Peterhead Harbour & Ugie Beach | Scotland | May–Sep | Fish or worm bait on the beaches |
| Point Clear, St Osyth | East | Autumn | Bait fished at low water over sand/mud |
| Portreath | South West | All year, best autumn/winter | Small hooks with worm bait fished on the bottom in the harbour or beach at low tide. |
| Portstewart Harbour | N. Ireland | Spring–Autumn | Bottom fished worm/crab |
| Prestatyn Beach | Wales | Sep–Mar | small hooks and worm baits fished hard on the bottom in the gutters |
| Prince of Wales Pier | South West | Oct–Mar | Worm bait fished hard on the bottom, a reliable winter target at night. |
| Pwllheli | Wales | Mar–May | ragworm or lugworm fished on the bottom in spring |
| Ramsgate Royal Harbour (East Pier & Harbour Arm) | South East | Mar-Oct | Two-hook flapper rigs with rag or lug |
| Reculver | South East | All year | Small hooks baited with rag/lug close to the boulders |
| Redcar Esplanade & Scars | North East | Sep–Mar | Small hooks with worm bait fished close in |
| Rhossili Bay | Wales | Sep–Mar | worm bait fished on the bottom |
| Roker Pier | North East | Apr–Oct | Light leger with worm or crab close to the pier base. |
| Rye Harbour | South East | Year-round | Small hook rigs with worm bait on the sand |
| Saltburn Pier | North East | Apr–Oct | Light leger with peeler crab or worm close to the pier legs. |
| Sandbanks | South West | Nov–Feb | Ragworm or sandeel fillet on a simple leger; specimen fish approaching 5lb are caught most winters |
| Saundersfoot | Wales | Sep–Mar | worm bait fished on the sand inside the harbour |
| Sheerness Seafront (Barton's Point to Garrison Point) | South East | Mar-Nov | Light beach gear along the wall |
| Sheringham West Beach | East | Late evening, year-round | Worm bait fished after dark |
| South Shields Pier | North East | Apr–Oct | Light leger with worm or peeler crab on the snaggy inshore ground. |
| Southend Pier | East | Sep–Mar | Small hooks baited with ragworm or peeler crab fished close in along the pier legs. |
| Southsea Seafront | South East | Nov–Feb | Lugworm or ragworm on a two-hook flapper cast just beyond the surf on winter evening tides. |
| Splash Point, Rhyl | Wales | Year-round, best Sep–Dec | Two- or three-hook flapper rigs baited with lugworm or ragworm over the flat sand. |
| Stonehaven Harbour | Scotland | All year, best autumn–winter | Small hooks and worm/mussel fished on the bottom inside the harbour or off the beach at low tide. |
| Teignmouth Seafront & Back Beach | South West | Oct–Feb | Small hooks with worm or fish strip fished hard on the bottom in the estuary channel through winter. |
| Thurso / Scrabster | Scotland | Sep–Mar | Bottom-fished bait close in around the harbour. |
| Tongue Bay | Scotland | Autumn | Light bait rigs in the shallower sandy margins |
| Troon Harbour & Ballast Bank | Scotland | Apr–Sep | Ragworm or lugworm fished close in |
| Wells-next-the-Sea Quay & Beach | East | Sept–Dec | Lugworm or peeler crab fished hard on the bottom at low water off the beach |
| West Bay | South West | Oct–Feb | Ragworm on a simple running leger inside the harbour |
| Whitburn Beach | North East | Year-round | Light gear over sandier patches near Jackie's Beach |
| Whitby West Pier | North East | Apr–Oct | Light leger with worm or peeler crab close to the pier structure on the sandy ground. |
| Whitehead Promenade | N. Ireland | All year | Worm bait close in |
| Whitstable Street | South East | All year | Rag/lug fished around the harbour and groyne marks |