Flounder and wade fishing on the Texas coast

Look at the picture at the top of this page. There is a flounder in it, flat on the sand and almost the same color as the bottom. That is the whole story of the fish: it lies still, blends in, and waits for something to swim past. TPWD says the southern flounder is the largest of more than 25 species of flatfishes in Texas coastal waters and accounts for more than 95 percent of the flounder harvest in the state. This guide covers how to know one, when it moves, where and how to fish for it while wading, how to cross a flat without stepping on a stingray, and what the limits say.

A fish that lies on its side

A flounder is born looking like an ordinary fish, with an eye on each side. TPWD says that as the larva grows, the right eye migrates to the left side of the head, so an adult southern flounder has both eyes on its left side, and the left side is always the up side. The upper side can vary its coloring to match the surroundings, which is why it is so hard to see. TPWD says adults come into shallow water at night, where they lie, often partly buried, and wait for prey, and the empty hollows where they have lain are called beds. Juveniles feed mainly on crustaceans, and as the fish grow, fish become more important in the diet.

TPWD says small flounder grow quickly and may reach 12 inches in their first year. Males seldom exceed 12 inches, while females grow larger and often reach 25 inches, so the fish anglers keep are usually females. Flounder first spawn at two years old, in the Gulf of Mexico at depths of 50 to 100 feet.

The flounder year

Young flounder come into the bays in late winter and early spring and look for shallow, grassy areas near the Gulf passes. In the fall the adults leave the bays to spawn in the Gulf, and TPWD says the run is typically from October to December, with anglers gathering at channels and passes after the first winter cold front. TPWD says a severe front can start a mass migration, while a mild winter spreads it out. Some adults stay in the bays over winter. Texas also closes the fishery for part of the run: for 2026-2027 the daily bag is 5, except from November 1 through December 14, when the fishery is closed and the bag is 0. Slide the date to see both.

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Night, tide and the shallows

Because adults come into the shallows at night, night is when wade anglers and giggers find them. TPWD says the best catches are made during an incoming tide and on dark nights, and that floundering should be done on calm nights; once a flounder is within the lantern light it normally will not move. TPWD also says a gigger should make certain what has been gigged before retrieving it. TPWD gives no rule for daylight, so the drawing says so, and what to do then is plain bottom fishing: slow, close to the bottom, near channels, passes, docks and grass edges.

An interactive drawing goes here in the app.

Baits and rigs

TPWD says flounder prefer live bait to dead, and that live shrimp retrieved slowly along the bottom often produce excellent results. It also says light tackle gives both the greatest sport and the best chance of catching one. A flounder bites by grabbing the bait as it passes over the bottom, so give it a moment before you set the hook, and keep the bait moving slowly where the fish can reach it. For a lure, the flounder bucktail rig is the card in Tackle & Lures: a jig hopped along the bottom in bays, passes and around docks. See Bay fishing for speckled trout and redfish for more on rigs and lures in the bays, and the southern flounder card for the fish itself.

Wading, and the stingray shuffle

Wading puts you on the bottom with the fish, and with the stingrays. TPWD says stingrays are not aggressive and attack only if threatened, and that most stings are delivered to a leg or foot when someone steps on one while walking in shallow water. Its advice is to shuffle your feet when you walk in surf or shallow bays where they live, so the ray has time to leave. Try both ways across the flat, then see what TPWD says to do if the worst happens.

An interactive drawing goes here in the app.

Keeping flounder (TPWD, 2026-2027)

TPWD's limit for flounder (all species, hybrids and subspecies) is a daily bag of 5, a possession limit equal to the daily bag, a 15-inch minimum length and no maximum. The fishery is closed November 1 through December 14, with a bag limit of 0. The limits page lists no gear rules, so check the current Texas Outdoor Annual or TPWD's flounder page for rules on gigging and other gear. You need a Texas fishing license with a saltwater endorsement. Choose the closed season, a length and the number already kept to see what the limit says.

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This is a summary of what TPWD says, not legal advice and not medical advice. TPWD and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Code and rules decide what applies to you, and a doctor should see any sting. The season and limits are valid September 1, 2026 through August 31, 2027 and can change, so check TPWD before you keep a fish. TexCast shows readings from public sources and is not a weather warning or rescue service.

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