American PlaiceorWinter Flounder
Two fish anglers mix up. Here is what separates them, and what each one’s rules are in your state.
How to tell them apart
American Plaice
Right-eyed flounder with a large mouth reaching below the eye and a nearly straight lateral line; rough reddish-brown to gray-brown back.
Winter Flounder
RIGHT-facing thick flatfish with a small mouth and straight lateral line; muddy black-brown.
Winter flounder, next to American plaice: small mouth, lateral line curved over the pectoral.
Side by side
| American Plaice | Winter Flounder | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Hippoglossoides platessoides | Pseudopleuronectes americanus |
| Also called | Dab, Canadian plaice, Sand dab | Blackback, Lemon sole (big ones) |
| Waters | Offshore | Inshore |
| Heaviest state record | — | 8 lb 2 oz · Massachusetts (1996) |
| On the table | Good — mild, thin fillets; the New England market 'dab'. | Excellent — the sweetest flounder. |
| Rules of its own in | 3 states | 8 states |
Rules for
Every state, both fish
The two fish are regulated differently in 8 of 8 states with a rule for either. In Massachusetts, American plaice is 14" min, No bag limit and winter flounder is 12 in total length, 8 per day. Call the fish wrong and you keep a short one or throw back a legal one.
| State | American Plaice: size · bag · season | Winter Flounder: size · bag · season |
|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. | 12" minimum2 per anglerApr 1 - Dec 31OpenCT DEEP 2026 · checked |
| Delaware | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. | 12 in min2 per dayFeb 11 - Apr 10ClosedDE DNREC 2026 · checked |
| Maine | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. | 12" min8 per dayOpen year-roundOpenME DMR 2026 · checked |
| Massachusetts | 14" minNo bag limitYear-roundOpenMA DMF 2026 · checked | 12 in total length8 per dayOpen year-roundOpenMA DMF 2026 · checked |
| New Hampshire | 14" TL minNo bag limitYear-roundOpenNH F&G 2026 · checked | 12 in TL min8 fish/dayOpen year-roundOpenNH F&G 2026 · checked |
| New Jersey | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. | 12 in min2Mar 1 - Dec 31OpenNJ DEP 2026 · checked |
| New York | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. | 12"2Apr 1 - May 30ClosedNY DEC 2026 · checked |
| Rhode Island | 12" minNo bag limitYear-roundOpenRI DEM 2026 · likely · checked | 12" min2/person/dayMar 1 - Dec 31OpenRI DEM 2026 · checked |
In the app
Point the camera at the fish and Chum names it before you take the picture, American plaice or winter flounder, with the right rules for the water you’re standing in. No signal needed.
Get the appQuestions anglers ask
How do you tell American plaice from winter flounder?
American Plaice: Right-eyed flounder with a large mouth reaching below the eye and a nearly straight lateral line; rough reddish-brown to gray-brown back. Winter Flounder: RIGHT-facing thick flatfish with a small mouth and straight lateral line; muddy black-brown. Winter flounder, next to American plaice: small mouth, lateral line curved over the pectoral.
Which is better to eat, American plaice or winter flounder?
American Plaice: Good — mild, thin fillets; the New England market 'dab'. Winter Flounder: Excellent — the sweetest flounder.
Do American plaice and winter flounder have the same limits?
Not everywhere. They differ in 8 state rulebooks. Massachusetts: American plaice 14" min, No bag limit, winter flounder 12 in total length, 8 per day; New Hampshire: American plaice 14" TL min, No bag limit, winter flounder 12 in TL min, 8 fish/day; Rhode Island: American plaice 12" min, No bag limit, winter flounder 12" min, 2/person/day; Connecticut: American plaice no rule of its own, winter flounder 12" minimum, 2 per angler; Delaware: American plaice no rule of its own, winter flounder 12 in min, 2 per day; and more in the table on this page.