Record 103-Day Gulf Red Snapper Recreational Season Set for 2024

April showers are said to bring flowers to the landscape as the calendar turns to May. Whether that's true or not, the start of a new month on the calendar this week certainly brought some big smiles after news broke that is almost certain to make Florida saltwater anglers smile big. 

That's because on Tuesday, April 30, 2024, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that the state would see a record 103-day long 2024 Gulf Red Snapper recreational season this year, the longest such season since the state has managed Gulf red snapper.

Specifically, this season will include both a summer and fall season, seasons that will include major holiday weekends such as Father’s Day on Sunday, June 16; the Independence Day holiday on Thursday, July 4; and the Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday, Nov. 28.

“I am proud to announce that this snapper season will be the longest season since our state took over red snapper management in the Gulf,” said Gov. DeSantis in a news release. “Florida is proud to be the Fishing and Boating Capital of the World.” 

How does the 2024 announcement compare to last year's season? It's an improvement by a good bit since Gov. DeSantis' office announced on May 4 last year that the 2023 Gulf red snapper recreational season would total 70 days. That was the previous longest combined season since the state assumed management of red snapper and included both a 46-day summer season and a 24-day fall season according to the news release from the Governor's office a year ago. 

That record length in 2023 was extended in August of last year when Gov. DeSantis extended the already record length 2023 recreational Gulf red snapper season by some 17 days, adding every Friday through Sunday in September, Labor Day and Thanksgiving Day last year to the dates that had already been previously announced. That late-summer extension a year ago meant that the season ultimately totaled 87 days, which once again was the longest combined season since the state assumed management of red snapper.

This year, the news is even bigger and better and visitors to the state and resident saltwater anglers on the Gulf side have even more reason to smile as the recreational season for red snapper received a boost of an additional 16 days to the 2024 season total of 103 days. And that boost left FWC Commission chairman Rodney Barreto quite enthusiastic about the record season's length.

“Under Governor DeSantis’ bold leadership, we are maintaining Florida as the Fishing and Boating Capital of the World with another record-breaking Gulf recreational red snapper season,” said Barreto in the news release. “We are proud to continue providing Floridians and visitors the world-class fishing opportunities we are known for.” 

In a state with multiple world class freshwater and saltwater angling opportunities from the Panhandle to the Keys, the recreational red snapper season on the Gulf side of Florida is an economic boon for resident anglers and it lures in many who want to sample the fishery while visiting.

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Occupying offshore spots near structure, the species is native and common to Florida's saltwater depths, offering exciting angling action for red snapper on lures such as soft-bodied jigs, bucktails, spoons and more. Great table fare, red snapepr can be good sized specimens on average and occasionally, even stretching the measuring tape and scale to  the really big side of the ledger with the current state record being a 45-pound, 8-ounce specimen caught by Lane Nichols II as he fished the salt near Destin on Oct. 1, 1985.

“Anglers from all over the country look forward to Gulf recreational red snapper season and the iconic fishing opportunities Florida provides yearly,” noted FWC Executive Director Roger Young. "We want to thank Governor DeSantis, the Legislature, and our recreational anglers for their continued investment in the State Reef Fish Survey, which gives us the data to allow these additional days for snapper fishing in Gulf state and federal waters this season.

State officials note that this news is for those fishing from private recreational vessels or charter vessels will be able to participate in this year's 2024 Gulf red snapper season. FWC officials indicate that the 61-day summer season will begin on June 1 and will continue through July 31. That will be followed later this year by the 42-day fall season, which is also the longest fall season since the beginning of state management for the species.

For the record, the fall session of the 2024 red snapper recreational season on the Gulf side of Florida will include the following weekend dates:

September 1–2 (Sunday through Monday of Labor Day Weekend)
September 6–8
September 13–15
September 20–22
September 27–29
October 4–6
October 11–13
October 18–20
October 25–27
November 1–3
November 8–11 (Veterans Day Weekend)
November 15–17
November 22–24 
November 28–30 (Thursday through Saturday of Thanksgiving Weekend) 

FWC officials and the Governor's office also note that Florida is able to offer this long season in 2024 due to data driven management of the red snapper fishery on the Gulf Coast, which is not allowed by the Federal Government on the East Coast side of the state. That means that the federal government’s expected Atlantic red snapper season will last 0-2 days once again, something that causes much angst among South Atlantic anglers as Florida Sportsman noted last year.

Finally, FWC officials also note that in the event of rainy days impacting the number of fishing days, the Sunshine State will evaluate additional Gulf red snapper season dates to add later in the season, something that could make an already record long season even longer. 

State officials remind anglers that if they plan to fish for red snapper in state or federal waters from a private recreational vessel, even if they are exempt from fishing license requirements, such anglers must still sign up as a State Reef Fish Angler (annual renewal required) at GoOutdoorsFlorida.com. 

For more information and to find out more about Florida's recreational red snapper angling regulations, visit the FWC website at MyFWC.com/Marine.