ORLANDO, Fla. — Florida recreational anglers will have 14 days to harvest Atlantic red snapper this fall under a revised Exempted Fishing Permit approved by NOAA Fisheries.
The full updated schedule for the remaining 2026 season is as follows:
- Sept. 23 – Oct. 4 (Consecutive)
- Oct. 9–22 (Consecutive)
- Oct. 23–25
- Oct. 30 – Nov. 1
- Nov. 7–8, 14–15, 21–22
- Nov. 26–29 (Thanksgiving weekend)
- Dec. 5–6, 12–13, 19–20
- Dec. 25–27 (Christmas weekend)
- Jan. 1–4, 2027
The season runs Oct. 9–22, 2026, for private recreational anglers and for-hire operations fishing in state and federal waters off Florida’s Atlantic coast.
Anglers and charter operators must meet several requirements before heading out:
- Private anglers and charter captains must hold the required licenses and permits.
- All red snapper trips must be declared through the FWC Atlantic Red Snapper Reporting app before fishing.
- Participants must keep copies of both their trip declaration and state permit aboard the vessel.
The recreational limit is one Atlantic red snapper per person, with no minimum size limit. However, captains and crew members on for-hire vessels may not retain red snapper.
Harvest is limited to spearfishing or hook-and-line gear using a single hook. Each red snapper caught also counts toward the 10-fish snapper-grouper aggregate bag limit.
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