A sea trout caught on a gold spoon. (Shutterstock photo)
November 07, 2025
By Florida Sportsman
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) held it November meeting Nov. 5-6 in Belle Glade, Fla. Click here for the full meeting agenda . Here’s a look at what was decided on spotted trout, lane snapper, trapping and more:
Spotted Seatrout Changes The FWC proposed new management regions and regulation changes for spotted seatrout to allow for better capture of local differences for management purposes, the agency said in a news release.
“Taking an adaptive holistic approach to spotted seatrout management will continue the success FWC has seen with Florida’s redfish and snook fisheries,” said FWC Chairman Rodney Barreto in the release. “This approach allows us to be fluid and reactive to the unique needs of each region,” added FWC Commissioner Preston Farrior.
The proposed rule changes would establish nine management regions for spotted seatrout, and establish regional regulations for recreational bag limits and closed seasons, as well as a recreational allowance of one fish over slot.
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The FWC will host in-person and virtual workshops to collect public input on the proposed rules ahead of a planned final rule hearing at February’s Commission meeting. In-person workshops and virtual webinars are scheduled 6 p.m.-8 p.m. Below is a list of workshop dates and locations.
Wednesday, Nov. 12 Apalachicola : Franklin County Commission Chambers, 34 Forbes St.Thursday, Nov. 13 Crawfordville : Wakulla County Community Center, 318 Shadeville Road.Virtual webinar : Charlotte Harbor, Southwest and Southeast regions. To join, visit: MyFWC.com/SaltwaterWorkshops .Monday, Nov. 17 Tuesday, Nov. 18 Stuart : City of Stuart Commission Chambers, 121 SW Flagler Ave.Jacksonville : Mayport "William B. Gulliford” Community Center, 4875 Ocean St.Wednesday, Nov. 19 Sebastian : Sebastian Community Center, 1805 N. Central Ave.Titusville : Titusville Community Center, 4220 S. Hopkins Ave.Thursday, Nov. 20 New Smyrna Beach : Marine Discovery, 520 Barracuda Blvd.Augustine : St. Johns Agricultural Center, 3125 Agricultural Center Drive.Monday, Dec. 1 Monday, Dec. 8 You may submit public comments on spotted seatrout regional management to the FWC Saltwater Public Comments page or email Marine@MyFWC.com. Click for more on current recreational spotted seatrout regulations .
Gulf Lane Snapper Regs The FWC approved rule changes for lane snapper in Florida’s Gulf state waters to be more consistent with current and pending federal regulations. Approved modifications include:
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Increasing the commercial and recreational minimum size limit from 8 inches to 10 inches total length. Establishing a 20-fish-per-person recreational bag limit. The changes are intended to reduce the risk of overfishing, mitigate the likelihood of early closures, and increase consistency between Gulf state and federal waters. The new Gulf lane snapper recreational regulations will go into effect on April 1, 2026.
Carolina Hammerheads The FWC approved classifying the Carolina hammerhead as a prohibited species within Florida state waters. This rule will help mitigate identification challenges associated with other prohibited shark species and promote conservation for large coastal hammerheads. Learn more about other prohibited shark species at MyFWC.com/Sharks .
Trapping Changes The Commission voted to approve proposed amendments to wildlife trapping rules for advertising in the Florida Administrative Register. The rule proposals are expected to be brought back before the Commission at a future meeting for a final hearing. The changes would address allowed trap types, design specifications, placement, check times and disposition of captured wildlife. The changes would more closely align with the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies ’ best management practices, which ensure that trapping is humane, species-specific and effective.
For more information about these proposed rule changes, go to MyFWC.com/TrappingRules .
This report was compiled from Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission news releases.
