southern flounder
Paralichthys lethostigma · Paralichthyidae · predator
A flounder of bays, estuaries and shallow waters, from Virginia (USA) to the Gulf of Mexico and Trinidad and Tobago. It is heavily fished from piers, jetties and small boats, and is sold fresh.
Also called: linguado-da-flórida, lenguado limpio, southern flounder
- maximum
- 83 cm
- record/max.
- 9.3 kg
- depth
- 1–43 m
the right time
to be on the water
Choose the place and the species. The index, from 0 to 100, combines weather, sun, moon and tide with each fish's habits. Up to 28 days, with each day's confidence.
Reading the weather across 3 global models and 31 simulations…
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hour by hour
tap or drag on the chart to read each hour · on a keyboard, arrow keyssee hour-by-hour table
why this index at —?
choose the day
Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
the fishing month at a glance
what's the best window for the crew?
Choose how many fishing days. We compare each stretch by its average index, discount days with a warning or closed season, and show the 3 best.
trend for the coming weeks
Line: the middle value of 31 simulations of the American GEFS model. Band: where 8 out of 10 fall. Narrow, firm trend; wide, high uncertainty.
everything about the southern flounder
who is the southern flounder
A flounder of the family Paralichthyidae, with a flattened body, reaching 83 cm and up to 9.3 kg. It lives mainly on mud bottoms in estuaries and coastal waters, down to 40 m, and enters brackish bays. In winter it moves to deeper waters, but it stays easy to reach. Adults eat mainly fish, crabs and shrimp; juveniles eat small bottom invertebrates. It is often fished from the shore, from piers and jetties, and from small boats. It blends in very well with the bottom.
Essential profile. Identification, where it occurs and rules, with data from FishBase and the cited regulations. Season, time of day, technique and bait are added once we have a good source for the southern flounder; in the meantime, see the similar species.
fun facts
- It tolerates slightly salty water and sometimes enters fresh water.
identification
A flounder with a short, deep body and both eyes on the left side, like the rest of the family. On the same coast, the whitebelly flounder (Paralichthys albigutta) lives on hard and sandy bottoms of bays and lagoons, while this one prefers estuary mud, which helps tell the two apart.
where found
It lives from Virginia, USA, to Texas, northern Mexico and Trinidad and Tobago, in estuaries and shallow coasts.
Habitat: Mud of estuaries and shallow coastal waters, 1 to 43 m deep.
rules for the southern flounder
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
We found no species-specific rule beyond the region's general rules.
catch and release
catch and release Releasing the fish alive, quickly and with a wet hand. During a closed season it isn't always allowed: what the regulation says applies.
It is not dangerous. Hold it by the body, with wet hands, and release it quickly, without leaving it out of the water.
in the kitchen
Sold fresh and frozen, it can be steamed, fried, boiled or baked.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00575, b = 3.19; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa da própria espécie)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
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sources and references
Essential profile: size, length-weight, depth, countries and conservation come from FishBase and the cited regulations, and the texts were written from those sources. Season, time of day, sensitivities, technique and baits and lures are not included yet, because we did not find a good source for this species.
- scientific FishBase: Paralichthys lethostigma (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Paralichthys lethostigmaNames by country and language.
similar species
where each number comes from
The weather comes from three independent global models, cross-checked hour by hour: when they agree, confidence goes up; when they diverge, the band between them shows on the chart. Beyond 16 days, we use the GEFS ensemble of 31 simulations: if 20 of the 31 predict rain, the chance of rain is 65%. Sun and moon are calculated astronomically, with no uncertainty.
The index adds up, weighted for each species: time of day (species curve anchored to real sunrise and sunset), moon (transits, rise and set, phase), pressure (3 h trend and 24 h swing), water temperature (in rivers, estimated from air temperature; at sea, estimated by an ocean model), wind, rain, clouds, tide and the month in the species' cycle.
sources for this lookup
how accurate the forecast is
Accuracy measured in the reference project (4 regions, 93 days, forecast vs. observed): maximum temperature is off by 0.6 °C on average the next day and 1.7 °C at 7 days; rain of 5 mm or more is detected 76% of the time the next day and 57% at 7 days. Detection isn't everything: the false alarm rate isn't published here yet, and 93 days in 4 regions is still a small sample. We now also measure every day, at the app's destinations: