Florida Saltwater Fishing Regulations

Because local regulations governing the taking of saltwater products may exist, you should contact the Florida Marine Patrol (FMP) Field office nearest the location where you will be engaging in these fishing activities.

This is a brief summary of regulations governing the taking of saltwater species in Florida for personal use. It is not intended or designed to provide specific information on commercial harvesting of these species. The failure to include complete laws, rules, and regulations in this summary does not relieve persons from abiding by those laws, rules, or regulations. All measurements will be considered total length unless otherwise specified. Total length definition shall apply to the particular species being measured. Definition of total length varies from species to species.

Recent changes appear highlighted in yellow and written in Red

Species	Size Limit	Closed Season	Daily Recreational Bag Limit	Remarks
Greater Amberjack	28" fork		1 per person per day
Lesser Amberjack Banded Rudderfish	Not less than 14" or more than 20" fork		5 Aggregate of lesser amberjack and banded rudderfish
Billfish	Sailfish 63" Blue Marlin 99" White Marlin 66"		1 per person per day Aggregate bag limit	Measured tip of lower jaw to fork. Federal regulations apply in state waters. All landed fish must be reported to NOAA within 24 hours 800-894-5528
Black Drum	Not less than 14" or more than 24"		5 per person per day	May posses one over 24"
Bluefish	12" fork		10 per person per day
Bonefish	18"		1 per person per day	Illegal to buy and sell. Possession limit one
Clams-Hard	1" thick across hinge	May not harvest half hour after official sunset until half hour before official sunrise	one 5 gal. bucket per person or 2 per vessel, whichever is less per day	Illegal to harvest from closed areas. Go towww.floridaaquaculture.com for allowable harvesting areas
Cobia (ling)	33" fork		1 per person or 6 per vessel per day whichever is less	A saltwater products license and a restricted species endorsement are needed to sell cobia or exceed the one-fish daily bag limit
Crab-Blue		Sept. 20 - Oct. 4 Traps only. NW of Suwannee River and beyond 3 miles	10 gallons whole per person per day	5 Traps maximum. Trap requirements apply. Harvest of egg-bearing crabs prohibited.
Crab-Stone	2 3/4" claw	May 16 to Oct. 14	1 gal. Stone Crab Claws per person or 2 gal. per vessel, whichever is less.	5 Traps maximum. Trap requirements apply. Illegal to possess whole crab. Harvest of egg-bearing crabs prohibited.
Crawfish (Spiny Lobster)	Larger than 3" carapace measured in the water.	April 1 - Aug. 5 Exception: Sports season - last consecutive Wed. & Thur. of July each year	6 per person per day	Recreational trapping prohibited. Crawfish permit required when license required. Special bag limit for 2-day Sport season Call DLE for current information on sport season
Dolphin	20” fork Atlantic		10 per person per day, not to exceed 60 per vessel per day statewide	A saltwater products license, a restricted species endorsement and a federal commercial vessel permit are needed to sell dolphin, exceed the 10-fish bag limit, or exceed 60 per vessel per day statewide
Flounder	12"		10 per person per day	May be harvested by spearing.
Grouper - Black & Gag	24” Atlantic & Monroe County 22” Gulf (excluding Monroe County)		2 per person per day Atlantic & Monroe County 5 per person per day Gulf (excluding Monroe Co.)	Included within 5 per person per day Grouper aggregate bag limit
Grouper-Red	20"		2 per person per day- Gulf	Included within 5 per person per day Grouper aggregate bag limit
Grouper- Yellowfin &Yellowmouth	20"		Included within 5 per person per day Grouper aggregate bag limit
Grouper-Scamp	20” Atlantic & Monroe County 16” Gulf (excluding Monroe County)		Included within 5 per person per day Grouper aggregate bag limit
Grouper-Warsaw Speckled Hind			1 per vessel per day of each species	Included within 5 per person per day Grouper aggregate bag limit
Grouper-all others			Included within 5 per person per day Grouper aggregate bag limit	Includes: Coney, Graysby, Misty, Red Hind, Rock Hind, Snowy, Tiger, Yellowedge
Hogfish	12" fork		5 per person per day
Mackerel-King	24" fork		2 per person per day	Bag limit in Gulf-Atlantic fishery reduced to 1 when federal waters are closed to all harvest. Call DLE for details
Mackerel-Spanish	12" Fork		15 per person per day	Transfer of Spanish Mackerel to other vessels at sea is prohibited.
Mullet-Striped (Black) & Silver			Feb. 1 - Aug. 31, 50 per person per day, aggregate of striped & silver mullet maximum 100 aggregate per vessel	Sept. 1 - Jan. 31, 50 per person or per vessel. Contact DLE for additional restrictions in Pinellas & Charlotte counties.
Oysters	3"	June, July, Aug. in Dixie, Wakula, Levy counties. July, Aug. Sept. in all other areas.	2 bags per person or vessel, whichever is less per day. 1 Bag = 60 lbs. or two 5 gal. buckets (whole in shell).	Apalachicola Bay has summer & winter seasons/areas. Harvest from approved shellfish areas only. Go to www.floridaaquaculture.com for allowable harvesting areas
Permit & Pompano	Not less than 11" or more than 20"		6 per person per day aggregate of Permit and Pompano.	May possess one over 20” of either Permit or Pompano Gigging, spearing, snatching prohibited
Pompano-African	Not less than 24"		2 fish per person per vessal/day whichever is less.	Hook & line gear only.
Red Drum (Redfish)	Not less than 18" or more than 27"		1 per person per day	Gigging, spearing, snatching prohibited.
Red Porgy	14" on Atlantic Coast		5 per person per day
Scallops-Bay		Sept. 11 - June 30	2 gallons whole or 1 pint meat per person, no more than 10 gallons whole 1/2 gallon meat per vessel anytime	Restricted harvest areas apply to certain state waters. Call FMP for current information.
Sea Bass	8"			Size limit applies to all Sea Basses (Centropristis) except Black Sea Bass.
Sea Bass - Black	10"		20 per person per day - Atlantic
Shad			10 Aggregate per person per day	American, Alabama, and Hickory are part ofaggregate limit. Hook and line gear only
Shark			1 per person or 2 per vessel, whichever is less	Protected species. Practice of finning and filleting at sea prohibited. No harvest of Sawfish, Basking and Whale Shark or Spotted Eagle Rays.
Sheepshead	12"		15 per person per day
Shrimp		April & May closed to Nassau, Duval, St. Johns, Putnam, Flagler & Clay Counties	5 gallons (head on) per person or per vessal per day	Must be landed in a whole condition. Contact FMP for closed areas.
Snapper-Cubera	Not less than 12" or more than 30"		10 per person per day. Under 30" included in aggregate bag limit.	No more than two 30" or larger per person or vessel, whichever is less. 30" or larger not included in aggregate.
Snapper-Gray (Mangrove)	10"		5 per person per day aggregate bag limit	No more than 10 snappers aggregate of all snappers with a bag limit.
Snapper-Lane	8"		10 bag limit applies toward aggregate of all snappers if harvested in Atlantic.	Lane Snapper harvested in Gulf of Mexico not subject to aggregate bag limit.
Snapper-Mutton	16"		10 per person per day, with a bag limit	No more than 10 snappers aggregate of all snappers
Snapper-Red	16" Gulf 20" Atlantic	Closed when adjacent Federal water closed.	2 Atlantic 4 Gulf of Mexico per day	No more than 10 snappers aggregate of all snappers with a bag limit.
Snapper- Schoolmaster	10"		10 per person per day aggregate bag limit.	No more than 10 snappers aggregate of all snappers with a bag limit.
Snapper- Vermilion	10"		No bag limit in Gulf. 10 (Atlantic) per day.	Not counted in Snapper aggregate bag limit
Snapper- Other	12"		10 aggregate of all snappers with bag limit	Includes Blackfin, Cubera under 30", Dog, Mahogany Queen, Silk and Yellowtail
Snook	Not less than 28” or more than 34”	Dec. 15-Jan. 31 statewide; June, July, Aug. – Atlantic; May, June, July, Aug. – Gulf, Monroe County, Everglades Nat. Park	2 per person per day-Atlantic; 1 per person per day-Gulf, Monroe County, Everglades Nat. Park	Snook permit required when saltwater license required. State regulations apply in federal waters. Illegal to buy or sell snook.
Spotted Sea Trout	S regions: not less than 15" - not more than 20" NW Region: not less than 15" - not more than 24" NE Region: not less than 15" - not more than 20".	Regions Closed: S - Nov. & Dec. NW - Feb. NE - Dec., Jan. & Feb.	S: 5 fish per person per day. NW: 7 fish per person per day NE: 5 fish per person per day	May possess one fish over the maximum size limit. S. region is defined as all state waters lying between the Volusia/Flagler county line on the Atlantic extending to Pinellas/Pasco line on the Gulf. N.W. region is defined as all state waters north and west of Pinellas/Pasco. N.E. region is defined as all state waters north of Volusia/Flagler line.
Tarpon			2 possession limit	Requires $50 tarpon tag to possess or kill.
Tripletail	15"		2 per person per day	Hook and line gear only.
Weakfish	12"		4 per person per day

Must remain in whole condition until landed ashore, (heads and tails intact).
Gear restrictions apply. Contact nearest FMP
Length for these species is defined as the most forward point of the head to the rear center edge of the tail.

Protected Species

It is unlawful to harvest, possess, land, purchase, sell, or exchange the following species:
Nassau Grouper, Jewfish, Sawfish, Sawshark, Basking shark, Whale Shark, Spotted Eagle Ray, Sturgeon.

Florida Marine Patrol (FMP)

Division of Law Enforcement Florida Marine Patrol (Tallahassee)	(850) 488-5600
Jacksonville Beach	(904) 270-2500
Titusville	(407) 383-2740
Jupiter	(561) 624-6935
Miami	(305) 795-2145
Marathon	(305) 289-2320
Fort Myers	(941) 332-6971
Tampa	(813) 272-2516
Crystal River	(352) 447-1633
Panama City	(850) 233-5150
Pensacola	(850) 444-8978
Carrabelle	(850) 697-3741

For Emergencies call 1-800-DIAL-FMP (1-800-342-5367)
Cellular phone users throughout the state, call *FMP.

On you Marine radio: VHF - Channel 16

Back to Fishing Articles