FLORIDA – Florida anglers will have 14 consecutive days to catch red snapper this fall after NOAA Fisheries approved a revised permit for the state-managed season, according to WKMG news partner WJXT.
The season will run from Oct. 9 through Oct. 22 in Florida’s Atlantic state and federal waters. It will be open to private recreational anglers and for-hire operations.
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Anglers may keep one red snapper per person, per day. There is no minimum size limit.
Private anglers and for-hire captains must have the appropriate licenses and permits before fishing. All red snapper trips must be declared through the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Atlantic Red Snapper Reporting app. Anglers must carry a copy of their trip declaration and Florida’s Exempted Fishing Permit on their vessels.
The season comes after a series of changes to Florida’s red snapper regulations. Last year, the season lasted only two days. In May, the state proposed a 39-day season from May through June, along with three October weekends, but a federal court blocked that plan.
Derrick Clark, a local fisherman, said he is excited about the opportunity but expects crowded waters.
“I’m excited to do that, but at the same time I know this is going to be kind of mayhem because everybody sees this window,” Clark said. “So we’re going to have a massive amount of boats out here, right? So that part of it I’m not too enthusiastic about.”
Clark said fishermen commonly catch red snapper outside the open season and have to release the fish.
FWC is encouraging anglers to report their catches and fishing-trip information through the agency’s reporting app. Participants are also asked to continue reporting data through the State Reef Fish Survey, for-hire surveys and dockside interviews, if requested.
The information will help state and federal officials evaluate the fishery and determine future seasons.
After reviewing data from the October season, FWC will work with NOAA Fisheries to determine whether a second red snapper season could take place in December 2026.
Additional regulations include a single-hook requirement for hook-and-line fishing, although spearfishing is also allowed. Captains and crew members on for-hire trips may not retain red snapper, and the 10-fish snapper-grouper aggregate bag limit applies.
