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It’s hard to deny that Flounder is one of America’s favorite inshore saltwater fish. Not only are they abundant close to shore, making them accessible to anglers regardless of budget, but they also taste delicious. However, identifying the difference between Fluke and Flounder, summer versus winter, can all get a little bit confusing.
If Flatfish has you in a spin, don’t worry. In the following article, we’ll break down the key differences between Fluke and Flounder, and you’ll learn not only how to tell them apart but also where you’re most likely to catch them.
If you’re interested in learning more about catching Flounder, be sure to check out How to Catch Flounder: Techniques, Tips, and Top Rigs, which covers everything you need to know about catching these delicious fish!
Catching Flounder can be a real challenge, but thanks to the Fishbox, a premium Fishing Forecasting App, you’ll have access to advanced technology, including the best time to go fishing for Flounder and when you’re better off staying at home.
First, we need to mention that Fluke and Flounder are the same species. Fluke is just another name for Summer Flounder, which is a large Flatfish that is most commonly found in the North Atlantic.
The most significant reason anglers get confused is that Winter Flounder also lives in the same environment. However, there are some easy ways that you can tell these two fish apart from one another.
When Summer Flounder is facing up, their mouth will point up. On the other hand, Winter Flounder will have their mouth pointing up when they’re facing right. Color is another indicator. Summer Flounder is a light brown color, and Winter Flounder is typically a much darker brown color.
Very adapted to life on the bottom of the ocean, a Flounder’s eyes will move location as they age until, eventually, both eyes end up on the same side of their face. Fluke are left facing, and Winter Flounder are right facing.
While it’s easy to identify them when you’re holding one in your hand, identifying them by which way they face while they’re underwater can be a lot more complicated. When underwater, Winter Flounder can appear almost black because of their darker coloring. It’s how they got their common nickname, Blackback. The whitish spots on Summer Flounder, along with their lighter coloring, are a more precise indicator of which species you’re looking at. However, coloring can be influenced by the environment they live in, so their faces are always a 100% way to identify the different Flatfish from one another.
Although Flounder is the common name that refers to almost all demersal Flatfish (fish that live at or near the bottom of the ocean), it’s not technically correct. The four main species commonly called Flounder are Gulf Flounder, Southern Flounder, Summer Flounder (also known as Fluke), and Winter Flounder.
Although similar, they are, in fact, different. Simply calling all of these fish flounder would be like calling all species of Tuna just Tuna when there are some significant differences between Bluefin Tuna and Yellowfin Tuna. Luckily, the location you’re fishing in plays an essential role in what type of Flounder you’re most likely to catch. So, telling the difference between the Summer and Winter Flounder isn’t as hard as you think.
You’re most likely to catch Summer Flounder along the Gulf of Mexico and up into the Atlantic all the way through to Southern Maryland. Northern Flounder or Fluke can be seen in the Carolinas, but they’re going to be a lot more common well north of Chesapeake Bay.
Both species of Flounder aren’t afraid of shallow water, sometimes creeping right up into shallow bays at night when they feel most safe from predators. In some parts of the world, including Australia and New Zealand, Flounder are commonly speared of at night in highly shallow water using an underwater light and wading around in sandy bays on very calm and still nights where the eyes of the Flounder makes them easier to spot despite their excellent camouflage.
Despite their odd appearance and a lot of bones, Flounder truly is a delicious fish to eat and is often served whole. Their white fleshy fish is sweet and succulent and well worth a fishing trip to catch a few of these tasty fish. However, before you hit the water, be sure to check the local regulations for size, season, and bag limits, along with the allowed method of take.
Now that you know the difference between Fluke and Flounder, along with some great information on Flounder distribution, you should be all set to head out on the water. However, before you drop a line, be sure to check local rules and regulations for season, size, and bag limits for the area you plan on fishing in.
Landing a prize Fluke or Flounder is never easy, but there is a way that you can significantly improve your chances, and that’s with the premium fish forecasting application Fishbox App. Fishbox App will put you in the perfect position to catch some great fish by analyzing local weather and water conditions along with input from local anglers. The Fishbox App utilizes accurate weather, tide, and fishing conditions to predict the best time to get out on the water to catch your target species.
Have you had any experience catching Fluke or Flounder and want to share your knowledge with other anglers? Then, drop a comment below. We would love to hear your thoughts and feedback, and your tips and expertise could help new anglers just getting started to catch their first fish.
“To be honest, prior to reading this article, I really never thought too much of the difference between flounder and fluke. For most of my life and fishing experience here in the lucrative waters of the North Carolina coast, I’ve always caught flounder, so I really don’t know too much about fluke. That said, let’s dive into the article and attempt to learn the difference between fluke and flounder.Â
In the very first part of the article, I learned something I had never known before—fluke is simply another name for summer flounder. I genuinely am in shock because I had no clue this was the case. I always thought Fluke was a completely separate species of flatfish. This first section continues and begins to talk about some of the main differences in these flatfish, such as coloration. From personal experience, I can definitely attest to the fact that winter flounders are far darker than their summer counterparts. Additionally, I had zero clue that if you hold flounder with the brown side face up, winter flounder’s faces are on the right, and fluke’s are on the left. This was astonishing to me.Â
The article continues into the next section, which talks about the distribution of the different flounder species. One comment that I particularly like about this section is how the author talks about the different species of flounder. He says that reducing the species to just “flounder” is like saying that all different tuna types are simply “tuna”—which obviously doesn’t encapsulate the broad range of species. These four different species of flounder are the gulf flounder, southern flounder, winter flounder, and summer flounder (fluke). To be honest, I only thought there were just the summer and winter flounder that existed.Â
As the section continues, the author begins to tell us where we are more likely to catch certain species of flounder over another. I personally thought this was super helpful as it allowed me to narrow down the species of flounder I could’ve caught based on my location. Additionally, reading this article has helped me to realize that most of the flounder species I catch here in North Carolina are summer or winter flounders.Â
I don’t know about you guys, but this article has definitely put me in the mood to catch some flounder again soon. Having read this article, I will now be able to better identify what species I’m actually catching, which should be really interesting. I hope you guys enjoyed reading this article and these comments. As always, good luck and tight lines!”
