Gulf flounder run peaks as Louisiana's season nears close

What's next

With the closure a week out, the next few days are the legal window to target flounder before harvest shuts down Oct. 15. Saltwater Sportsman notes flounder concentrate at the mouths of bayous and passes as they ride the current toward open water, so working outgoing tide there is the move.

At Grand Isle, the tide swings from a low near 2:21 a.m. CDT to a high around 11:11 a.m.; at the Shell Beach gauge in the Delta, high tide lands near 9:33 a.m. ahead of a low around 4:18 p.m. Morning outgoing water is the more consistent bite window at both stations heading into the weekend. Water near 82°F should keep the bite active rather than slowing fish down, and the waning crescent moon pushing toward new moon should sharpen tidal flow over the next few nights, worth building into a late-week or weekend plan.

Context

Water in the low 80s is on the warm side but not unusual for the Louisiana coast in early October, where Gulf water retains summer heat well into fall. The flounder closure's timing fits the broader seasonal pattern: as cooling nights trigger the baitfish and flounder exodus from the marshes, Gulf-state seasons are built around that migration window rather than a fixed calendar date. Check current state regulations before harvesting flounder as the Oct. 15 closure approaches.