Flounder Habitats

• Flounder are flat fish that spend most of their time lying or swimming at the bottom of the ocean. As Florida's climate is mild, the fish are found in warm, shallow waters for most of the year; they can often be found near wharf and rock pilings, jetties or sand bars where they feed on fish spawn, crustaceans and small fish. At rest, flounder prefer the protection of weeds and cord grass.
  
  

St. Augustine Fishing Sites

• St. Augustine is surrounded by coastal waterways, bays and estuaries, many of which are home to flounder. At Moses Creek and the 206 bridge area of the Intracoastal Waterway, a variety of sandbars, flats and oyster beds are populated with flounder. Moultrie Creek, East Creek and San Julian Creek feature similar water habitats and fish. Further south, Devils Elbow has many small inlets, bars and creeks in which flounder make their home. Fishing off docks and jetties on the west bank of Salt Run between the Anastasia and Conch Islands can also be fruitful.
  
  

Seasons

• For most of the year, flounder are found in the shallows of bays and along the shoreline of the Intracoastal Waterway, but many of the fish migrate to the Atlantic Ocean for the purpose of spawning in the fall. From October to December, flounder fishing is best in the channels where they meet the ocean.
  
  

Getting There

• Interstate 95 is the primary route of travel to St. Augustine; it runs south and north from Miami through St. Johns County, to the Canada-Maine border. International and continental flights can take you to airports in Jacksonville (52 miles away), Orlando (118 miles away) or Miami (317 miles away). There is one public airport in St. Augustine, but as of 2010 it was only used for private flights and tour helicopters. Three boat launch sites can get you onto St. Augustine's waterways: one is just southwest of the 206 bridge, another is north of the 206 bridge, and a third is by the Avid Angler tackle shop on North Ponce de Leon Boulevard.
  
  

Warning

• A Florida fishing license is required to fish in the salt waters of St. Augustine unless you are under age 16. There is no closed season for flounder fishing in Florida, but in 2010 there is a minimum size restriction of 12 inches, and a daily bag limit of 10 fish; boats may not harvest more than 80 fish on one day. Be mindful of stingrays if you are fishing at night; they are often mistaken for flounder and can be dangerous.