NOAA Fisheries has approved the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s revised Exempted Fishing Permit, giving Florida anglers a 14-day fall Atlantic red snapper season beginning this October.
The season will run continuously from Oct. 9 through Oct. 22, 2026, and will be open to all private recreational anglers and for-hire operations fishing in Florida’s Atlantic state and federal waters.
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What anglers need to know
To participate, private anglers and for-hire captains must have all appropriate licenses and permits in place before heading out.
Participants are also required to declare all red snapper trips through the FWC Atlantic Red Snapper Reporting app and carry both a copy of their trip declaration — obtained through the app — and Florida’s EFP, which can be downloaded from the FWC website, on their vessel at all times.
The season comes with the following regulations:
- Bag limit: One red snapper per person, with no minimum size limit
- For-hire: No retention allowed for captains and crew
- Gear: Hook and line with single hook only; spearfishing also permitted
- Aggregate limit: 10-fish snapper grouper aggregate bag limit applies
Reporting encouraged
FWC is strongly encouraging all participants to report their catch and fishing trip information through the FWC Atlantic Red Snapper Reporting app. Anglers are also asked to continue reporting data through Florida’s State Reef Fish Survey, for-hire surveys and dockside interviews if requested.
That data will play a key role in what happens next.
“After reviewing data from the October season and other information, FWC will work with NOAA Fisheries to determine if a second season may take place in December 2026,” according to the commission.
State waters closure ahead of season
To facilitate the state-managed season, FWC has issued an Executive Order closing Atlantic state waters to recreational red snapper harvest as of Sept. 22, 2026 — aligning the closure with the upcoming 14-day season opening.
For more information on how to participate, visit MyFWC.com/AtlanticRedSnapper.