Florida Fishing Regulations: Check Out Snook, Amberjack Season Updates

The recreational harvest fishing season for snook will open Oct. 1 in the Charlotte Harbor and Southwest management regions, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said. The season will be open through Nov. 30 and include all state and inland waters in each region.

Charlotte Harbor

• Open season: March 1 – April 30 and Oct. 1 – Nov. 30.
• Closed season: Dec. 1 – end of February and May 1 – Sept. 30.
• Bag limit: One fish per person per day.
• Slot limit: 28–33 inches total length.
• Boundaries: The northern coastal boundary is at 27°04.727’ north latitude, near the Venice Municipal Airport, and the region extends south to 26°15.227’ north latitude, near Vanderbilt Beach Road in Collier County. Includes all waters of the Caloosahatchee, Myakka, and Peace rivers and their tributaries. Does not include Lake Okeechobee.

Southwest

• Open season: March 1 – April 30 and Oct. 1 – Nov. 30.
• Closed season: Dec. 1 – end of February and May 1 – Sept. 30.
• Bag limit: One fish per person per day.
• Slot limit: 28–33 inches total length.
• Boundaries: The northern boundary is at 26°15.227’ North latitude, near Vanderbilt Beach Road in Collier County, and the region extends through the Florida Keys to the Monroe/Miami-Dade county line. Includes all waters of Everglades National Park.

For more information on recreational snook regulations, visit MyFWC.com/Snook.

Gulf Amberjack Season Closes

Recreational fishing for greater amberjack has closed (Sept. 27) in Florida, the FWC said. Harvest will be closed through Aug. 31, 2026. The FWC announced that it issued an executive order to set the dates to be consistent with federal regulations.

The FWC considers Gulf greater amberjack to be overfished and is now under a federal rebuilding plan: "NOAA determined that a large quota overage occurred in 2024, which must be deducted from the 2025 quota,” FWC said in a press release. "Based on the 2024 overage, NOAA determined that no quota remains for the 2025 recreational fishing season and therefore closed the fishery in Gulf federal waters. Consistent state and federal seasons are intended to prevent further quota overages and support rebuilding of the stock."

For more information click here.

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