NOAA Fisheries announced the approval of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) revised Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP), allowing FWC to test management of the recreational Atlantic red snapper fishery in both state and federal waters beginning October 2026.
BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – NOAA Fisheries announced the approval of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) revised Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP), allowing FWC to test management of the recreational Atlantic red snapper fishery in both state and federal waters beginning October 2026.
Florida’s 2026 Atlantic recreational red snapper season will be a 14-day fall season that will run continuously from October 9 through October 22. This season will be open to all private recreational anglers and for-hire operations fishing in Florida’s Atlantic state and federal waters.
To participate in the season, private anglers and for-hire captains must ensure they have all the appropriate licenses and permits, and must comply with the following:
– Declare all red snapper trips during the season through the FWC Atlantic Red Snapper Reporting app
– Have a copy of your trip declaration (obtain through the app) AND Florida’s EFP (downloaded from FWC website) on your vessel
– Follow the one red snapper per person bag limit with no minimum size limit (no retention for for-hire captain and crew)
– Use hook and line gear with single hook only (spearfishing also allowed)
– Follow the 10-fish snapper grouper aggregate bag limit
Please continue to report your fishing data through Florida’s State Reef Fish Survey, for-hire surveys, and dockside interviews if requested. FWC strongly encourages participants to report their catch and other fishing trip information through the FWC Atlantic Red Snapper Reporting app.
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.
To facilitate the Florida state management season, FWC will close Atlantic state waters to recreational red snapper harvest as of September 22, 2026 via Executive Order to align with the upcoming 14-day Atlantic recreational red snapper season opening.
Please visit MyFWC.com/AtlanticRedSnapper to learn more about how you can participate.
