Florida cast net regulations require a saltwater fishing license, cap the net at 14 feet stretched length in nearshore and inshore waters, limit you to two nets per vessel, restrict which species you can keep, and impose special possession rules around snook. Get any of those wrong and you’re looking at fines, gear forfeiture, or in serious cases criminal charges.
Do You Need a License to Throw a Cast Net
Yes. A valid Florida recreational saltwater fishing license is required the moment you attempt to take any marine organism, whether you’re after mullet, shrimp, or bait.1Florida Senate. Florida Code 379.354 – Recreational Licenses, Permits, and Authorization Numbers; Fees Established
A resident annual saltwater license costs $17. Nonresidents pay $47 annual, $30 for seven days, or $17 for three days.2Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Saltwater Recreational Licenses and Permits Children under 16 don’t need a license. Florida residents 65 or older are exempt but must obtain a no-cost license from a county tax collector and carry it, along with proof of age and residency, while fishing.3Florida Senate. Florida Code 379353 – Recreational Licenses and Permits; Exemptions
The free resident shoreline saltwater license has gear limitations, and FWC guidance indicates it does not cover cast net use. If you plan to throw from shore, the full recreational saltwater license is the safe choice.
Net Size and Gear Limits
In nearshore and inshore waters, the stretched length of a cast net cannot exceed 14 feet. Stretched length is measured from the horn at the top to the lead line with the net pulled taut.4Legal Information Institute. Florida Administrative Code R 68B-4.0081 – Statewide Net Gear Specifications; Cast Net Specifications The net must also stay within a 500-square-foot mesh area cap that applies to all nets in those waters.
Two other gear rules apply:
- No more than two cast nets may be fished from a single vessel at any time in nearshore and inshore waters.4Legal Information Institute. Florida Administrative Code R 68B-4.0081 – Statewide Net Gear Specifications; Cast Net Specifications
- Monofilament construction is allowed for cast nets. Under Florida’s net ban, any net made wholly or partly of monofilament is a prohibited entangling net unless it’s a hand-thrown cast net or a handheld landing or dip net.4Legal Information Institute. Florida Administrative Code R 68B-4.0081 – Statewide Net Gear Specifications; Cast Net Specifications
What You Can Legally Keep
Only certain regulated species may be kept when caught in a cast net:5eRegulations. Florida Saltwater Fishing Recreational Gear
- Black drum
- Bluefish
- Cobia
- Flounder
- Mullet
- Florida pompano
- Red drum (redfish)
- Sheepshead
- Shrimp
- Spanish mackerel
- Weakfish
- Any unregulated species
Every species on that list still has to meet its normal recreational size and bag limits. A cast net catch is not exempt from minimum lengths or daily harvest caps. For unregulated species with no established bag limit, the default is 100 pounds or two fish per person per day, whichever is greater.5eRegulations. Florida Saltwater Fishing Recreational Gear
Species not on the list, including snook, spotted seatrout, and tarpon, cannot be kept from a cast net regardless of size. If a non-permitted species lands in your net, release it immediately.
The Special Rule for Snook
Snook can only be harvested by hook and line. You cannot harvest or attempt to harvest snook with any other gear.6Legal Information Institute. Florida Administrative Code R 68B-21-006 – Allowed and Prohibited Gear for Snook
The rule extends to possession. You cannot possess a snook while also possessing a net. There is one narrow exception for cast net users: if you’re on a vessel and your cast net is stored off the deck, you’re not in violation.6Legal Information Institute. Florida Administrative Code R 68B-21-006 – Allowed and Prohibited Gear for Snook An angler who catches a snook on hook and line can keep a cast net on board as long as the net is stowed off the deck surface.
If a snook accidentally lands in your cast net, you must return it to the water immediately, alive and unharmed.6Legal Information Institute. Florida Administrative Code R 68B-21-006 – Allowed and Prohibited Gear for Snook
Where You Can and Can’t Throw
Cast nets are allowed in most of Florida’s nearshore and inshore state waters, with a few important restrictions. The broadest one is the obstruction rule: no net may be set or placed in a way that blocks a river, creek, canal, pass, or other waterway and prevents the free passage of fish.7Florida Senate. Florida Code 379.2421 – Fishers and Equipment; Regulation Practically, don’t throw across a narrow channel or inlet.
FWC rules also restrict gear use near public swimming beaches, fishing piers, and jetties, with specifics varying by location. Counties and municipalities can impose stricter rules than the statewide regulations, so check local ordinances before throwing in an unfamiliar area.
Florida state waters extend nine nautical miles from shore in the Gulf and three nautical miles on the Atlantic. Beyond those boundaries, federal jurisdiction applies rather than FWC rules. Most cast netting happens well inside state waters since target species live in shallow nearshore environments.
Penalties If You Get It Wrong
For a typical recreational user, the realistic violations are using an oversized net, keeping a non-permitted species, exceeding a bag limit, or fishing without a license. These generally draw misdemeanor-level citations and fines.
The heavier penalties are reserved for what the statute calls “flagrant violations”: using a prohibited monofilament net (other than a lawful cast net) or fishing with a net whose mesh area exceeds 2,000 square feet. A flagrant violation is a third-degree felony carrying a $5,000 civil penalty and a 12-month suspension of all saltwater license privileges on a first offense. A second flagrant violation brings lifetime revocation and forfeiture of all gear used.8The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 379.407 – Administration; Penalties; Violations
Between those tiers sit “major violations” of the constitutional net ban provisions, with penalties that escalate over a seven-year window:
- First major violation within seven years: $2,500 civil penalty and a 90-day license suspension.
- Second within seven years: $5,000 civil penalty and a 12-month suspension.
- Third or subsequent within seven years: $5,000 civil penalty, lifetime license revocation, and forfeiture of all gear and equipment used.8The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 379.407 – Administration; Penalties; Violations
Keeping a snook from a cast net or using a net that clearly exceeds the 14-foot limit can escalate quickly, especially if an officer views the violation as intentional. Gear forfeiture alone makes compliance worthwhile: a quality cast net and the boat under it are not cheap to replace.