Winter flounder tend to return to the same spawning locations in consecutive years. Restricted movement patterns, and differences in growth, meristic, and morphometric characteristics suggest that relatively discrete local groups exist. Tagging and meristic studies indicate separate groups of winter flounder north of Cape Cod, east and south of Cape Cod, and on Georges Bank. Winter flounder are typically exploited in coastal locations, although offshore shoal areas, particularly Georges Bank and Nantucket Shoals, support important winter flounder fisheries. The principal commercial fishing gear used is the otter trawl.
Recreational catches are significant, especially in the southern parts of the range.
Amendment 9 established rebuilding targets, and defines control rules which specify target fishing mortality rates and corresponding rebuilding time horizons. The goal of the management program is to reduce fishing mortality to levels which will allow stocks within the complex to initially rebuild above minimum biomass thresholds, and ultimately to remain at or near target biomass levels. Total winter flounder landings in 1998 was 5,500 mt, among the lowest on record. Gulf of Maine Commercial landings from the Gulf of Maine increased from a steady 1,000 mt for the period 1964 to 1975 to nearly 3,000 mt in 1982. Recreational landings estimates for 1981-1982 averaged 2,200 mt.