Flounder · Orange Beach
Orange Beach flatfish sit at the Ono canal mouths on falling water and along the pass channel edges in fall.
Orange Beach flatfish sit at the Ono canal mouths on falling water and along the pass channel edges in fall. The Cotton Bayou drains produce quietly all summer for anglers willing to fish slow.
Flounder stack where falling water drops bait over an edge: drains, cuts, channel edges, and the down-current side of pilings. October's run pours fish toward the Gulf, and both states protect the tail of it, so plan harvest trips for September into mid-October.
October is the classic run month as fish leave the bays for the Gulf. Florida closes flounder harvest October 15–November 30 and Alabama closes all of November, so the harvest window is September to mid-October.
Flounder grab the bait crossways and turn it before swallowing. Feel the thump, drop the rod tip, count to three, then lean in — an instant hookset pulls the bait away.
Conditions decide more than tackle. The live dashboard scores each Orange Beach morning from NOAA tide swing, wind, and sky, with solunar windows and marine alerts, and J&M Tackle and the Caribe Marina dock store are the local bait stops.
Seasons and limits change. Verify with Florida FWC or Outdoor Alabama before keeping fish.