Flounder Fishing in St. Marys, GA

Flounder Fishing in St. Marys, GA

If you're looking for another great inshore species to target around St. Marys, Georgia, don't overlook flounder.

These flat-bodied fish are built for life along the bottom, and the tidal creeks, marsh edges, shell, sand, and structure around St. Marys can provide plenty of places to look for them.

Whether you're fishing from a boat, kayak, or shore, flounder can be a fun target for anglers who understand how to work the bottom and follow the tide.

Where to Find Flounder Around St. Marys

Flounder are bottom-oriented fish, so start by looking for areas where the bottom and current give them opportunities to ambush bait.

Around St. Marys and the surrounding coastal waters, look for:

• Tidal creek mouths

• Marsh drains

• Sandy and muddy bottoms

• Shell and oyster structure

• Creek bends

• Current seams

• Drop-offs

• Points where shallow water meets deeper water

• Areas where baitfish move with the tide

Crooked River State Park is one local area worth knowing. Georgia State Parks lists flounder among the possible catches there, along with redfish, seatrout, black drum, sheepshead, whiting, and other inshore species.

The Most Important Flounder Fishing Tip

If you're targeting flounder, keep your bait near the bottom.

Georgia DNR specifically notes that flounder are not typically feeding in the upper two-thirds of the water column and that keeping bait in their preferred strike zone near the bottom can improve your chances.

That sounds simple, but it makes a big difference.

If your bait is several feet above the bottom, you may be fishing right over the fish without ever giving it a chance to strike.

Best Baits for Flounder

Flounder will take both natural bait and artificial lures.

Depending on conditions and the type of water you're fishing, anglers commonly use:

• Live shrimp

• Small baitfish

• Cut bait

• Soft plastic shrimp

• Paddle-tail soft plastics

• Small jigs

• Bottom-oriented artificial lures

The important thing is not simply what bait you're using.

It's where the bait is being presented.

A good flounder presentation should stay close to the bottom and move naturally with the current.

Fishing the Tides

Tides are one of the biggest factors when fishing St. Marys and the surrounding tidal creeks.

As the tide moves, baitfish and other prey are pushed through creeks, drains, channels, and marsh edges.

Flounder can position themselves near these areas and wait for food to come within range.

Instead of simply asking, “What time should I go fishing?” look at the tide and ask:

Where will the moving water push bait?

That can help you identify better places to start.

Flounder Fishing From Shore

You don't need a boat to catch flounder.

Shore anglers can target areas where accessible banks meet deeper water, especially around tidal creeks, docks, boat ramps, shell structure, and current.

Crooked River State Park offers several shore-fishing opportunities, including areas around the boat ramp and courtesy dock when it isn't being used by boaters. The park also identifies shell bars, beaches, mud, grass, and other habitat as fishing areas.

When fishing from shore, concentrate on areas where you can reach deeper water or a current edge rather than simply casting straight out from any shoreline.

Flounder Fishing From a Kayak

A kayak can be an excellent way to explore the shallow tidal waters around St. Marys.

Kayaks allow anglers to reach smaller creeks, marsh edges, and shallow areas that may be difficult to access with a larger boat.

Look for creek intersections, drains, bends, and areas where the tide is moving water across a shallow flat.

Keep your lure or bait near the bottom and work slowly enough that you can maintain contact.

Flounder Fishing From a Boat

A boat gives you more options for exploring the tidal rivers and creeks around St. Marys.

Use your electronics and knowledge of the area to identify changes in depth, channels, structure, and current.

Don't overlook shallow water.

Flounder can use shallow areas, especially where there is access to deeper water and moving current.

A productive-looking flat can become much more interesting when the tide starts pushing bait across it.

What Gear Should You Use?

You don't need specialized tackle to target flounder.

A typical inshore spinning setup can work well:

• Medium-light to medium spinning rod

• 2000–3000 size spinning reel

• Braided main line

• Fluorocarbon leader

• Small jigheads

• Soft plastics

• Live-bait rig when using natural bait

The exact setup can vary depending on depth, current, structure, and whether you're fishing from shore, kayak, or boat.

The key is being able to feel the bottom without using so much weight that your presentation becomes unnatural.

Flounder Around Crooked River

Crooked River is particularly interesting for anglers targeting flounder because of the variety of tidal habitat.

Georgia State Parks identifies flounder as one of the possible catches in Crooked River, and the surrounding habitat includes marshes, shell bars, beaches, mud, grass, and tidal areas accessible to shore and boating anglers.

Look for areas where different types of habitat come together.

A grass edge next to a deeper channel can be more interesting than a featureless stretch of shoreline.

The same goes for a creek mouth where moving water creates an ambush point.

What Can You Catch Along With Flounder?

One of the fun things about fishing the St. Marys area is that you may not know exactly what will eat your bait.

While targeting flounder, anglers may also encounter:

• Redfish

• Spotted seatrout

• Black drum

• Sheepshead

• Whiting

• Croaker

• Other coastal inshore species

Georgia's coastal waters support a variety of recreational saltwater species, including flounder, redfish, spotted seatrout, black drum, sheepshead, whiting, and croaker.

That means you can often have a productive day even when the flounder aren't cooperating.

Georgia Flounder Regulations

Georgia's current recreational saltwater regulations list flounder as open year-round with a 15-fish daily limit and a 12-inch minimum total length.

Anglers fishing Georgia saltwater also need a valid Georgia fishing license, and a free Saltwater Information Program (SIP) permit is required for saltwater fishing.

Regulations can change, so always check the current Georgia Department of Natural Resources regulations before keeping fish.

A Simple Flounder Strategy

If you're new to targeting flounder around St. Marys, keep it simple.

Find a tidal creek, channel edge, marsh drain, or other area where moving water meets structure or a change in depth.

Then:

Fish the bottom.

Move slowly.

Pay attention to the tide.

Watch for bait activity.

And don't be afraid to make several casts to the same productive-looking area.

Flounder are ambush predators, and sometimes the key is simply putting your bait in front of one.

Explore More St. Marys Fishing

Looking for more fishing information around St. Marys?

Check out our St. Marys, GA Fishing guides for:

• Best Places to Fish in St. Marys

• St. Marys Boat Ramps

• Crooked River Fishing

• Cumberland Island Fishing: A Complete Guide

• Sheepshead Fishing

• Redfish Fishing

• Spotted Seatrout Fishing

• Fishing Reports