Winter Flounder (Blackback) regulations
Rhode Island · Curated reference from cited public sources · listings, not permission to fish or retain a catch · This selected Rhode Island saltwater reference subset is not a complete rulebook.
SPECIES LINKS
FIELD GUIDE
Pseudopleuronectes americanus
speciesBASICThe black back, a right-eyed flatfish native from Labrador to Georgia, less common south of Delaware Bay. The most common near-shore flounder from Newfoundland through Massachusetts Bay.
HABITAT
Near-shore western north Atlantic from Labrador to Georgia.
SIZE
up to ~61 cm and 2.25 kg; larger on Georges Bank
TEXT CONDENSED FROM WIKIPEDIA, AVAILABLE UNDER CC BY-SA 4.0
Winter Flounder (Blackback) identification is educational; species identification does not establish legal applicability for Rhode Island.
- LAST LISTED/REFERENCE LIMITS
- 2 fish per person per day · minimum 12 inches
- LISTED SEASON WINDOWS
- Mar 1, 2026 through Dec 31, 2026 · 2 fish listed
- APPLICABILITY
- Harvesting or possession is prohibited in Narragansett Bay north of the Colregs Line of Demarcation, Potter Pond, Point Judith Pond, and the Harbor of Refuge.
- SOURCE AUTHORITY
- RIDEM Marine Fisheries Minimum Sizes & Possession Limits, Recreational Marine Fisheries table
UPDATED August 14, 2026 · CHECKED Aug 17, 2026, 12:00 PM UTC · EFFECTIVE YEAR 2026
RI DEM marine fisheries ↗The RI DEM page is an informational summary; the applicable state regulations are authoritative.
LAUNCH SITES
Curated launch sites in Rhode Island (2)
This reference does not grant permission to fish or retain a catch. Location, method, vessel, species identification, and emergency closures can change what applies. Verify the applicable official rules.