Issued: July 2017 Florida Recreational New regulations are highlighted in red Regulations apply to state waters of the Gulf and Atlantic Saltwater Fishing Regulations (please visit: MyFWC.com/Fishing/Saltwater/Recreational for the most current regulations) All art: © Diane Rome Peebles, except snowy grouper (Duane Raver) Reef Fish Snapper
General Snapper Regulations: ••Within state waters of the Atlantic and Gulf, the snapper ● aggregate bag limit is 10 fish Snapper, Cubera ● Snapper, Red ● X Snapper, Vermilion X Snapper, Lane ● per harvester unless the species Minimum Size Limits: Minimum Size Limits: Minimum Size Limits: Minimum Size Limits: rule specifies that it is not ••Atlantic and Gulf - 12" (see remarks) ••Atlantic - 20" ••Atlantic - 12" ••Atlantic and Gulf - 8" included in the aggregate. This ••Gulf - 16" ••Gulf - 10" means that a harvester can Daily Recreational Bag Limit: Daily Recreational Bag Limit: retain a total of 10 snappers ••Atlantic and Gulf - 10 per harvester Season: Daily Recreational Bag Limit: ••Atlantic - 10 per harvester ••Atlantic - Open year-round ••Atlantic - 5 per harvester ••Gulf - 100 pounds (see remarks) in any combination of species. Remarks ••Gulf – Open Sats & Suns starting May ••Gulf - 10 per harvester Exceptions are noted below. ••May possess no more than 2 over Remarks 6; Daily May 27 through June 18; and ••If no season information is 30" per harvester or vessel per day, Remarks ••Gulf not included within the snapper OPEN Fris, Sats & Suns June 23-Sept. included, the species is open whichever is less. 30" or larger not ••Not included within the snapper aggregate bag limit. 4 (also open July 3, 4, and Sept. 4) year-round. included within the snapper aggregate aggregate bag limit. bag limit. Daily Recreational Bag Limit: ••Atlantic and Gulf - 2 per harvester All Other Snapper ● Remarks Minimum Size Limits: ••Gulf - Zero daily bag and possession limit ••Atlantic and Gulf - 12" for captain and crew on for-hire vessels. Daily Recreational Bag Limit: ••Atlantic and Gulf - 10 per harvester Remarks ••Includes: Blackfin, Dog, Mahogany, Snapper, Gray Snapper, Snapper, Black Queen, Silk and Yellowtail (Mangrove) ● Snapper, Mutton ● Schoolmaster ● & Wenchman ● Minimum Size Limits: Minimum Size Limits: Minimum Size Limits: Minimum Size Limits: ••Atlantic and Gulf - 10" ••Atlantic and Gulf - 18" ••Atlantic and Gulf - 10" ••Atlantic and Gulf - None Daily Recreational Bag Limit: Daily Recreational Bag Limit: Daily Recreational Bag Limit: Daily Recreational Bag Limit: ••Atlantic and Gulf - 5 per harvester ••Atlantic and Gulf - 5 per harvester ••Atlantic and Gulf - 10 per harvester ••Atlantic and Gulf - 10 per harvester Grouper
Atlantic Grouper General Regulations: ••Atlantic grouper regulations apply to all state waters of the Atlantic and all state waters Grouper, Warsaw off Monroe County (Gulf and Grouper, Black ● X Grouper, Snowy ● Grouper, Red ● X & Speckled Hind ● Atlantic sides). Minimum Size Limits: Minimum Size Limit: Minimum Size Limits: Minimum Size Limits: ••Atlantic grouper aggregate ••Atlantic - 24" ••Atlantic and Gulf - None ••Atlantic and Gulf - 20" ••Atlantic and Gulf - None bag limit is 3 fish, which ••Gulf - 24" means that no harvester shall Daily Recreational Bag Limit: Season: Daily Recreational Bag Limit: retain more than 3 Atlantic Season: ••Atlantic - 1 per harvester ••Atlantic - Closed Jan. 1–April 30 ••Atlantic and Gulf - 1 per vessel per day groupers in any combination ••Atlantic - Closed Jan. 1–April 30 ••Gulf - 4 per harvester ••Gulf - Open year-round of each species ••Gulf - Open year-round of species. Daily Recreational Bag Limit: Daily Recreational Bag Limit: ••Atlantic - 3 per harvester ••Atlantic - 1 per harvester. Only 1 fish ••Gulf - 2 per Harvester Gulf Grouper can be gag or black General Regulations: ••Gulf - 4 per harvester ••Gulf grouper regulations apply to all state waters of the Gulf except off Monroe County (where Atlantic rules apply). Grouper, Yellowfin ••Gulf grouper aggregate bag Grouper, Scamp ● Gag Grouper ● X Other Grouper ● ● limit is 4 fish which means that & Yellowmouth no harvester can retain more Minimum Size Limits: Minimum Size Limits: Other Grouper includes: Minimum Size Limits: than 4 Gulf grouper in any ••Atlantic - 20" ••Atlantic - 24" ••Tiger, Rock Hind, Red Hind, Coney ••Atlantic and Gulf - 20" combination of species. ••Gulf - 16" ••Gulf - 24" and Graysby ••Zero bag limit for captain Season: and crew of for-hire vessels Season: Seasons: Minimum Size Limit: ••Atlantic - Closed Jan. 1–April 30 applies to gag, black, and red ••Atlantic - Closed Jan. 1–April 30 ••Atlantic - Closed: Jan. 1–April 30 ••Atlantic and Gulf - None ••Gulf - Open year-round ••Gulf - Open year-round ••Gulf - State waters off Franklin, Wakulla, grouper only. Season: Daily Recreational Bag Limit: Jefferson and Taylor counties: Open April 1 Daily Recreational Bag Limit: –June 30, and additional fall season ••Atlantic - Closed Jan. 1–April 30 ••Atlantic - 3 per harvester ••Atlantic - 3 per harvester ulf - Open year-round possible. Visit MyFWC.com for updates. ••G ••Gulf - 4 per harvester ••Gulf - 4 per harvester Season Information: ••Gulf - State waters off all other Daily Recreational Bag Limit: ••If no season information is counties: Open June 1–Dec. 31 ••Atlantic - 3 per harvester provided, the species is open Daily Recreational Bag Limit: ••Gulf - 4 per harvester year-round. ••Atlantic - 1 per harvester. Only 1 fish can be gag or black ••Gulf - 2 per harvester All art: © Diane Rome Peebles, except golden tilefish (Duane Raver); lionfish (FWC) Reef Fish
Other Reef Fish (If no season information is provided, the species is open year-round)
Amberjack, Greater ● X Great Barracuda ■ Hogfish ● Triggerfish (Gray) ● X Minimum Size Limits: Regulations only apply in Collier, Monroe, Miami- Minimum Size Limits: Minimum Size Limits: ••Atlantic - 28" fork length Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, and Martin counties. ••Atlantic and Gulf - 12" fork length ••Atlantic – 12" fork length ••Gulf - 34" fork length ••Gulf - 14" fork length Minimum Size Limits: Daily Recreational Bag Limit: Season: ••Not less than 15" or more than 36" ••Atlantic and Gulf - 5 per harvester Season: ••Atlantic - Open year-round ••Changes pending — visit MyFWC.com for updates ••Atlantic - Open year-round Daily Recreational Bag Limit: ••Gulf - Closed April 22–Dec. 31, 2017 ••Gulf - Closed Jan. 1, 2017 – Dec. 31, 2017 ••2 per person or 6 per vessel, per day ••Changes possible — Visit MyFWC.com for updates Daily Recreational Bag Limit: ••May possess one over 36" per vessel. ••Atlantic and Gulf - 1 per harvester ••Unregulated in all other areas. Daily Recreational Bag Limit: ••Atlantic - 10 per harvester Remarks ••Gulf - 2 per harvester ••Unregulated in all other areas see pg. 15
Amberjack, Lesser & Red Porgy ● Tilefish, Golden ● Banded Rudderfish ● X Black Sea Bass ● Minimum Size Limits: Daily Recreational Bag Limit: Minimum Size Limits: Minimum Size Limits: ••Atlantic - 14" ••Atlantic - 1 per harvester ••Atlantic and Gulf - Cannot be less than 14" or ••Atlantic - 13" ••Gulf - None ••Gulf - 4 per harvester greater than 22" fork length ••Gulf - 10" Daily Recreational Bag Limit: Remarks Daily Recreational Bag Limit: Daily Recreational Bag Limit: ••Atlantic - 3 per harvester ••Golden tilefish included within Atlantic and Gulf ••Atlantic and Gulf - 5 per person aggregate of the ••Atlantic - 7 per harvester ••Gulf - 100 pounds Grouper aggregate bag limits two species ••Gulf - 100 pounds per harvester
Pelagics
Billfish H Swordfish H Mackerel, King Mackerel, Spanish Minimum Size Limits: Minimum Size Limits: Minimum Size Limits: Minimum Size Limits: ••Sailfish 63"; ••47" lower jaw fork length with head attached or ••24" fork length ••12" fork length ••Blue Marlin 99"; 25" cleithrum to keel length if head removed ••White Marlin 66"; Daily Recreational Bag Limit: Daily Recreational Bag Limit: Daily Recreational Bag Limit: ••Roundscale Spearfish 66" ••Atlantic (excluding Monroe) - 2 per harvester ••15 per harvester per day ••1 per harvester per day, not to exceed a maximum per day Daily Recreational Bag Limit: of 4 per recreational (not for-hire) vessel or 15 per ••Gulf (including Monroe) - 3 per harvester ••1 per harvester per day aggregate bag limit for-hire vessel per day per day Remarks Remarks Remarks ••Measured tip of lower jaw to fork. All landed •• All landed fish must be reported to NOAA within ••Bag limit reduced to 1 in some state waters if fish must be reported to NOAA within 24 hours 24 hours 800-894-5528. HMS permit required federal waters are closed to recreational harvest. 800-894-5528 or hmspermits.noaa.gov. in federal waters. Zero daily bag and possession ••HMS permit required in federal waters. limit for captain and crew of for-hire vessels.
Wahoo Cobia (Ling) Tripletail H T Dolphinfish Minimum Size Limits: Minimum Size Limits: Minimum Size Limits: Minimum Size Limits: ••None ••33" fork length ••15" ••Atlantic - 20" fork length ••Gulf - None Daily Recreational Bag Limit: Daily Recreational Bag Limit: Daily Recreational Bag Limit: ••2 per harvester per day ••1 per harvester per day, not to exceed 6 per ••2 per harvester per day Daily Recreational Bag Limit: vessel per day ••10 per harvester per day, not to exceed 60 per Remarks vessel per day. Vessel limit does not apply to ••Hook and line only. No snatch hooks. for-hire vessels.
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Bluefish ■ Blue Runner ■ Bonefish H ■ Pompano, Sheepshead ● T ● H ■ Minimum Size Limits: Minimum Size Limits: Daily Recreational Bag Limit: African T Minimum Size Limits: ••12" fork length ••No minimum ••0 per harvester per day Minimum Size Limits: ••12" Daily Recreational Bag Limit: Daily Recreational Bag Limit: Remarks ••24" fork length Daily Recreational Bag Limit: ••10 per harvester per day ••100 fish per harvester per day ••Catch and release only Daily Recreational Bag Limit: ••15 per harvester per day ••Hook and line only ••2 per harvester per day, not to exceed Remarks 2 per vessel per day ••Snatching prohibited
Weakfish H Snook Spotted Permit ● H T ■ Tarpon ● H T ■ H ■ ● H ■ Minimum Size Limits: (All species) T Seatrout T Minimum Size Limits: Recreational Bag Limit: ••Weakfish Management Area (WMA) in Minimum Size Limits: Size Limits: ••22" fork Special Permit Zone (SPZ); ••1 per harvester per year. $50 harvest Nassau County - 12" ••Not less than 28" or more than 32" ••Not less than 15" or more than 20" Not less than 11" or more than 22" tag required. Vessel limit of one fish. ••All other areas - no minimum Atlantic excluding Monroe (See remarks) fork length all other areas Harvest tag can only be used when fish is retained for potential IGFA record. Daily Recreational Bag Limit: ••Not less than 28" or more than 33" Closed Season: Gulf and Monroe County Daily Recreational Bag Limit: ••WMA - 1 per harvester ••5 per harvester per day N.W. Zone ••May 1–July 31 SPZ Only Remarks ••All other areas - 100 pounds per day ••Tarpon over 40 inches must remain in Closed Season: ••4 per harvester per day S.W. Zone Daily Recreational Bag Limit: the water during release. Spearing and Remarks ••Atlantic (excluding Monroe) closed ••4 per harvester per day S.E. Zone ••1 per harvester per day, not to exceed snatch hooking prohibited. Bottom ••Regulations apply in parts of Nassau Dec. 15–Jan. 31 and June 1–Aug. 31. ••6 per harvester per day N.E. Zone 2 per vessel per day SPZ; weighted jigs prohibited in Boca Grande County only. ••Gulf including Monroe County, Dec. 1– ••2 per harvester per day all other state Remarks Pass. See: MyFWC.com/Fishing/ ••See map at: MyFWC.com/Fishing/ end of February, and May 1–Aug. 31. waters ••May possess no more than 1 over 20"; Saltwater/Recreational/Tarpon for Saltwater/Recreational/Weakfish Daily Recreational Bag Limit: included in the regional bag limit. See Remarks additional information. ••1 per harvester per day management zone map at MyFWC.com. ••May possess 1 over 22" fork length Remarks outside the SPZ, not to exceed 2 over •• Snook permit required for harvest 22" fork per vessel per day. For map of when saltwater license required. See SPZ, please see: MyFWC.com. MyFWC.com for snook permit details. ••Zero daily bag and possession limit for Snatch hooks and spearing prohibited. captain and crew on for-hire vessels ••Zero daily bag and possession limit for captain and crew on for-hire vessels
Red Drum (Redfish) H T Size Limits: ••Not less than 18" or more than 27" Mullet, Striped Daily Recreational Bag Limit: Black Drum T ■ Flounder T (Black) & Silver Pompano, ••2 per harvester per day in the NE zone, H ■ Size Limits: Minimum Size Limits: Minimum Size Limits: Florida T and 1 per harvester per day in the NW ••Not less than 14" or more than 24" ••12" ••No minimum size Minimum Size Limits: and S zone. See map on p. 6 ••11" fork length ••Off the water possession limit of 6 fish Daily Recreational Bag Limit: Daily Recreational Bag Limit: Daily Recreational Bag Limit: ••5 per harvester per day ••10 per harvester per day ••50 aggregate per harvester per day; Daily Recreational Bag Limit: Remarks ••Aggregate vessel limits ••Gigging, spearing, snatching prohibited. Remarks Remarks ••6 per harvester per day Feb. 1–Aug. 31: 100 per vessel; Harvest in Federal waters prohibited. ••May possess one over 24". Snatching ••May be harvested by spearing. Sept. 1–Jan. 31: 50 per vessel Remarks prohibited. Snatching prohibited. ••Hook and line, cast net and beach or haul seine ONLY.
H Spearing Prohibited ■ State regulations apply in federal waters. Must remain in whole condition (removal of gills and guts allowed). ● Additional gear rules apply, please see: MyFWC.com M easured as total length. Total length is the straight line distance from the most T Harvest prohibited by or with the use of any multiple hook (any hook with two or forward part of the head with the mouth closed to the farthest tip of the tail with more points and a common shaft) in conjunction with live or dead natural bait. the tail compressed or squeezed together while the fish is lying on its side. X Gulf reef fish survey required when fishing for selected reef species from a private vessel in the Gulf of Mexico. Crustaceans and Mollusks
Bay Scallops ● Spiny Lobster H Crab, Stone H ■ Oysters Season: Minimum Size Limit: Minimum Size Limits: Minimum Size Limit: ••Gulf/Bay County: July 25-Sept. 10, 2017 ••Carapace must be greater than 3" measured in ••2 ¾" claw ••3" ••Fenholloway to Suwannee rivers: June 16– the water Sept. 10, 2017 Closed Season: Closed Season: ••All other open areas: July 1–Sept. 24, 2017 Seasons: ••May 16–Oct. 14 ••June, July, Aug. in Dixie, Wakulla, Levy counties. Visit MyFWC.com for details ••Sport Season open July 26–27, 2017 ••July, Aug., Sept. in all other areas except Apala- ••Regular Season opens Aug. 6 through March 31 Daily Recreational Bag Limit: chicola Bay which has open areas year-round. Daily Recreational Bag Limit: ••1 gal. claws per harvester or 2 gal. per vessel, ••2 gallons whole or 1 pint meat per harvester per Daily Recreational Bag Limit: whichever is less Daily Recreational Bag Limit: ••Sport Season: 6 per harvester per day in Monroe ••2 bags per harvester or vessel except Apala- day; no more than 10 gallons whole, or ½ gallon Remarks meat per vessel anytime County and Biscayne National Park, 12 per day in chicola Bay all other harvest areas. ••5 traps maximum. Visit MyFWC.com for statewide Remarks Remarks ••Regular Season: 6 per harvester in all areas trap construction requirements and specific ••Harvest allowed only in state waters of the Gulf of requirements that apply in Miami-Dade, Monroe ••Aplachicola Bay: special bag limits and other Mexico from the Pasco-Hernando county line, to Remarks and Collier. Illegal to possess whole crab. Harvest harvest restrictions apply. See MyFWC.com for the west bank of the Mexico Beach Canal in Bay ••Recreational trapping prohibited. Spiny lobster of egg-bearing crabs prohibited. detailed information. County. It is illegal to harvest, possess and land permit required when license required. Harvest ••Apalachicola Bay has summer & winter seasons/ bay scallops on waters outside open harvest area. of egg-bearing females prohibited. areas. ••Harvest from approved shellfish areas during daylight hours only. ••Go to FloridaAquaculture.com to determine the Shrimp Clams (Hard) ● Crab, Blue H Open or Closed status of shellfish harvesting areas. Closed Season: Minimum Size Limits: Closed Season: ••May not harvest half hour after official sunset ••April & May closed in Nassau, Duval, St. Johns, ••1" thick across hinge ••Regional trap closures apply. See map on page 6 until half hour before official sunrise. Putnam, Flagler & Clay counties or visit MyFWC.com for 2017 trap closure dates ••1 Bag = 60 lbs. or two 5 gal. buckets (whole Daily Recreational Bag Limit: and locations. in shell) Daily Recreational Bag Limit: ••One 5 gal. bucket per harvester or 2 per vessel ••Harvest prohibited in any harvest area that ••5 gallons heads on per harvester or vessel per (whole in shell) Daily Recreational Bag Limit: is in the Closed status as determined by the day, whichever is less ••10 gallons whole per harvester per day Remarks Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Remarks ••Illegal to harvest from closed areas. Remarks Services. ••Visit: MyFWC.com/Fishing and select "Saltwater", ••Go to www.FloridaAquaculture.com for allowable ••5 traps maximum. Trap requirements apply. "Regulations" and "Shrimp" for additional regula- harvesting areas. Harvest of egg-bearing crabs prohibited. tions specific to Dade, Nassau and Duval ••May not harvest half hour after official sunset until half hour before official sunrise.
Sharks
Daily Recreational Bag Limit: Retainable Sharks with a 54" fork length minimum H T ••1 per harvester or 2 per vessel per day, whichever is less. Blue, oceanic whitetip, porbeagle, shortfin mako (not illustrated). Remarks ••The retainable sharks are managed as a group for bag limit purposes. In other words, you can only harvest one shark per day and the shark that you harvest must be one of the retainable species. Bull Common Thresher ••Hook-and-line gear only. ••See list of prohibited species below. Nurse Spinner
Retainable Sharks with no minimum size limit T
Atlantic Sharpnose Blacknose Blacktip
Bonnethead Finetooth Smooth Dogfish
Prohibited Species
It is unlawful to harvest, possess, land, purchase, sell or exchange the following species: Goliath Grouper (Jewfish), Nassau Grouper, Sawfish, Atlantic Angel Shark, Basking Shark, Bigeye Sand Tiger Shark, Bigeye Sixgill Shark, Bigeye Thresher Shark, Bignose Shark, Caribbean Reef Shark, Caribbean Sharpnose Shark, Dusky Shark, Galapagos Shark, Lemon Shark, Longfin Mako Shark, Narrowtooth Shark, Night Shark, Silky Shark, Sand Tiger Shark, Sandbar Shark, Sevengill Shark, Sixgill Shark, Smalltail Shark, Spiny Dogfish, Whale Shark, White Shark, Tiger Shark, Great Hammerhead Shark, Scalloped and Smooth Hammerhead Shark, Manta Ray, Devil Ray, Spotted Eagle Ray, Longbill Spearfish, Mediterranean Spearfish, Sturgeon, Queen Conch, Calico Scallop, Stony, Hard and Fire Corals, Sea Fans, Bahama Starfish, and Longspine Urchin. Harvest of live rock in state waters is prohibited. Puffer fish harvest is prohibited in Volusia, Brevard, Indian River, St. Lucie and Martin counties.
FWC – Division of Marine Fisheries Management, 2590 Executive Center Circle East, Tallahassee, FL 32301 Phone: 850-487-0554 This publication is provided as a guide to Florida fishing laws and regulations. The Florida Administrative Code is the final authority on fishing laws. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) strives to ensure information in this booklet is accurate, but assumes no liability for any errors that occur in this publication.