Why Flounder? And Why Now?
The Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) is the state agency who manages the Commonwealth's marine resources. Price volatility and competition with imports are two reasons that Massachusetts commercial fishermen, who have access to some of the most nutrient rich fishing grounds in the world, leave flounder quota in the sea.
Massachusetts flounder is sustainable, abundant and delicious. It’s a wild-caught, low-fat protein that is harvested by small-boat fishermen from the cool, clear waters off of our coast. Choosing local flounder supports local fishing families, working waterfronts, and coastal communities.
DMF formed the Massachusetts Flounder Chef Council in 2026 in response to requests from fishermen for help marketing flounder. Ten exceptional chefs crafted unique flounder dishes to be sold at restaurants across the state. These chefs helped introduce restaurant diners to this versatile New England fish with the goal of inspiring diners and home cooks alike to try flounder.
Meet the 2026 Massachusetts Flounder Chef Council
Members of the Flounder Chef Council come together for a flounder tasting event in Boston.
Kevin Burleson - Straight Wharf Fish (Nantucket)
Andrew Chadwick- The Chatham Bars Inn (Chatham)
Sasha Coleman- Comfort Kitchen (Dorchester)
Will Gilson- Puritan & Company, Puritan Oyster Bar, The Lexington, Geppetto, Cafe Beatrice, Amba Cambridge (Cambridge)
William Kovel- Catalyst Restaurant (Cambridge)
Andrea Pang- Miraval Berkshires Resort And Spa (Lenox)
Josh Riazi- The Black Whale, National Club Mexican Cantina, Candela Cucina (New Bedford); Joe’s Original Kitchen & Bar (Dartmouth)
Jeremy Sewall- Row 34 (Boston, Cambridge, Burlington)
Robert Sisca- The Banks Seafood & Steak, Bistro Du Midi, Grill 23 & Bar (Boston); Harvest (Cambridge)
Rodney Murillo - Davios (Boston, Lynnfield, Foxborough)
Video: Flat is Back Chef Tasting Event 2026
Skip this video Flat is Back Chef Tasting Event 2026.Flounder on the Menu and in the Kitchen
How do you find local flounder on the menu?
In New England markets, several flounder species are commonly sold under names that include ‘sole’. Locally harvested varieties include:
- Yellowtail flounder — also known as (a.k.a) Yellowtail sole
- Winter/Blackback flounder — a.k.a Lemon sole
- Witch flounder — a.k.a Gray sole
- American plaice — a.k.a Dab
- Summer flounder — a.k.a Fluke
How do you cook flounder?
Flounder fillets are extremely versatile, but that’s not the only cut it comes in!
- dressed flounder: scaled, gutted, head, tail, fins removed
- tail-on fillets: two fillets married at the tail to give perception of whole fish
- whole fish: gutted
- skinless fillets
Try these flounder techniques at home!
What’s for dinner? Check out these short videos for inspiration!
Sole Satay (fish on a stick) – divide fillets into four pieces and weave onto stick and deep fry
Sole Sauté – simple pan sear topped with classic sauces like beurre blanc or meuniere
Stuffed – best for the thin and pliable fillets like grey sole or yellowtail, making them easy to roll and stuff with crabmeat or spinach
Baked – Larger fillets like fluke, lemon sole or dabs (American plaice) can be breaded and baked (Parmesan encrusted)
Fluke Ceviche – fluke is often offered cured in ceviche style preparation
Nutrition Information
Flounder, like all Massachusetts seafood, is high in protein and low in saturated fat making it a healthy choice for all of us.
Servings: 1; Serving Weight: 100 g (raw); Calories: 91; Protein: 18.84 g; Total Fat: 1.19 g; Total Saturated Fatty Acids: 0.283 g; Carbohydrate: 0 g; Total Sugars: 0 g; Total Dietary Fiber: 0 g; Cholesterol: 48 mg; Selenium: 32.7 mcg; Sodium: 81 mg (Refer to NOAA Fisheries for more information)
Flounder Management
All Massachusetts flounder are harvested under strict federal, regional, and state fishery management measures designed to promote sustainability of the flounder stocks as well as the habitats where they live. The flounder fishery is part of the multispecies groundfish fishery where other species such as haddock and pollack are also caught. Science-based management is used by government regulators to set sustainable annual catch limits for each species of flounder. Regular stock assessments contribute to the science and strict monitoring and reporting requirements are in place. There are size limits, catch limits, gear restrictions and fishing area restrictions in place to minimize habitat interaction and bycatch, and secure flounder populations for generations to come.
Flounder Sustainability
NOAA Fisheries and the New England Fishery Management Council manage the various stocks of flounder through the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan. As part of that plan, fishermen receive species quotas each year. In 2025, MA commercial fishermen only landed about one-third of their allowed yellowtail and winter flounder quota. The reason is two-fold: due to price volatility, fishing for flounder is not always profitable for fishermen, and to ensure the sustainability of other groundfish such as cod, fishermen have to limit the times and places to fish flounder.
Yellowtail Flounder/Yellowtail Sole: 25.9%
Winter Flounder/Black Back Flounder/Lemon Sole: 31%
Witch Flounder/Grey Sole: 64%
American Plaice/Dabs: 16.7%
Learn more about flounder sustainability.
Flounder Biology
A flounder is a flatfish known for having both eyes on one side of its head, living on the ocean floor, and changing color to hide. As babies grow, one eye moves across the head so both sit together. Depending on the species, they can be left-eyed or right-eyed. All species move between shallow and deeper water depending on food availability, spawning, or water temperature.
Flat is Back in the News
- ‘Flat is Back’ campaign hopes to put flounder back on people’s plates (New Bedford Light)
- Can "Flat Is Back" Get Us All Eating Flounder? (WGBH Curiosity Desk)
- Mass. wants to get flounder back on the menu. They enlisted Boston chefs (Axios)
- Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries is trying to make flounder go viral (Boston.com)
- Underfished for decades, flounder gets a new PR campaign (Boston Globe)
- ‘Flat is Back’ campaign hopes to put flounder back on people’s plates (Associated Press)