Florida Fish Size Limits, Seasons, and Bag Limits

Florida fish size limits, seasons, and bag limits are set by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and vary by species, coast, and management region. A red drum legal on one side of the Keys can be a violation on the other, and grouper open in state waters may be closed in federal waters a few miles further out. The rules below cover the most-targeted species, but the FWC updates seasons throughout the year based on stock assessments, so confirm current dates before you fish.

How Florida Measures a Fish

Whether a fish is legal starts with the tape. Florida uses three measurement methods under Florida Administrative Code Rule 68B-2.001.1Legal Information Institute. Florida Administrative Code Rule 68B-2.001 – General Definitions

  • Total length is the straight-line distance from the most forward point of the head, mouth closed, to the farthest tip of the tail with the tail fins squeezed together. This is the standard for red drum, spotted seatrout, and most snapper.
  • Fork length runs from the front of the head, mouth closed, to the center of the tail’s fork. It applies to species with distinctly forked tails.
  • Lower jaw fork length runs from the tip of the lower jaw to the center of the tail fork in a straight line, not along the curve of the body. This is the billfish standard.

A rigid measuring device beats a flexible tape, especially on larger fish whose bodies curve on deck.

Saltwater Size and Bag Limits by Species

Saltwater rules live in Chapter 68B of the Florida Administrative Code. The numbers below are statewide defaults; regional variations exist for most species.

Red Drum

Red drum, or redfish, are managed with a slot: only fish between 18 and 27 inches total length are keepers. The daily bag is one fish per person statewide. A transport limit of four fish per person applies when moving by vehicle on land away from the fishing site, and vessel limits run from two to four fish depending on the management region.2Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Red Drum (Redfish)

Spotted Seatrout

Spotted seatrout carry a 15-to-19-inch total length slot. In most regions you can keep one fish over 19 inches per vessel, and it counts toward your bag. In the Indian River Lagoon and Northeast regions, no trout over 19 inches may be possessed at all.3Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Spotted Seatrout

Snapper

Snapper limits shift by species and by coast. Red snapper must reach 16 inches total length in Gulf state waters, with a daily bag of two per person inside a 10-snapper aggregate. Gray snapper (mangrove snapper) is 10 inches in state waters, 12 inches in federal waters, with a bag of five per person inside the same aggregate.4Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Florida Saltwater Recreational Snapper Regulations

Grouper

Grouper seasons have tightened. Gulf gag grouper is closed from September 15, 2025 through August 31, 2026. Atlantic gag grouper is closed from June 26, 2025 through April 30, 2026. Atlantic black and red grouper open from May 1 through December 31. In Gulf state waters, black and red grouper stay open year-round, but federal waters close from February 1 through March 31.5Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Groupers

Billfish

Billfish are measured by lower jaw fork length. Blue marlin must be at least 99 inches, white marlin and roundscale spearfish at least 66 inches, and sailfish at least 63 inches.6Legal Information Institute. Florida Administrative Code Rule 68B-33.003 – Size Limits

Saltwater Seasons and Closures

Closed seasons line up with spawning periods. Keeping a fish during a closed season is a separate violation from any size or bag issue.

Snook

Snook seasons split by coast. Atlantic harvest closes from December 15 through January 31 and again from June 1 through August 31. Gulf regions close from December 1 through the end of February and from May 1 through August 31, with Charlotte Harbor and the Southwest region extending the summer closure through September 30.7Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Snook Catch-and-release remains legal during closures.

Hogfish

Atlantic hogfish is closed from November 1 through April 30, covering the fall-through-spring spawning window.8South Atlantic Fishery Management Council. Hogfish

Red Snapper

The Gulf state-water red snapper season is announced annually and has run only a handful of days or weekends in recent years. As of early 2026, the FWC has not yet announced the season.4Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Florida Saltwater Recreational Snapper Regulations

Freshwater Size and Bag Limits

Florida’s freshwater rules sit in Chapter 68A-23 of the F.A.C. and lean toward protecting trophy-class fish while allowing generous harvests of smaller species.

  • Black bass: five fish per day, but only one may be 16 inches or longer in total length. The limit covers largemouth, Suwannee, spotted, Choctaw, and shoal bass combined.9Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. General Statewide Bag and Length Limits
  • Crappie (speckled perch): 25 fish per person per day.
  • Panfish: 50 fish per day combined, covering bluegill, redear sunfish, warmouth, spotted sunfish, and several other species.

The bass rule catches anglers out more than any other freshwater regulation. Five bass is the daily cap, and only one of those five can be 16 inches or over. The limit runs across every water you fish that day, not per lake.

Protected and No-Harvest Species

Some fish cannot be kept regardless of size or season. Nassau grouper harvest is prohibited in both state and federal waters and any hooked fish must be released immediately.5Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Groupers Smalltooth sawfish are federally endangered; federal law prohibits harming or injuring them, and interactions should be reported to NOAA Fisheries.10NOAA Fisheries. Endangered Sawfish Handling, Release, and Reporting Procedures

Goliath Grouper

Goliath grouper harvest is allowed only through a permit-and-tag lottery. The harvest window runs from March 1 through May 31. Applications are accepted October 1 through 15 with a $10 application fee. Selected residents pay $150 for the permit and tag; non-residents pay $500. Each permit authorizes one fish, and the tag must be attached to the jaw immediately after harvest. No exemptions apply, including for lifetime license holders and anglers over 65.11Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Goliath Grouper Harvest Permit

Lionfish

Lionfish sit at the opposite end. As an invasive species, they have no size limit, no bag limit, and no closed season. A recreational fishing license is not required if you harvest them with a pole spear, Hawaiian sling, handheld net, or a device designed and marketed exclusively for lionfish. Standard licensing applies if you use hook and line.12Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Lionfish

State Waters, Federal Waters, and Regional Zones

Florida state waters extend nine nautical miles into the Gulf and three nautical miles into the Atlantic. Beyond those lines, federal rules take over, and limits for species like gray snapper and grouper often differ between the two jurisdictions.13Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Boundary Maps and Management Zones

The boundary between the Gulf and South Atlantic councils runs through the Keys. Monroe County sits at the intersection of multiple regulatory zones and its rules trend more restrictive because of the coral reef ecosystem. If you catch grouper in open Gulf federal waters, you can transit through closed state waters in Monroe County to reach port, but only by heading directly to the dock without fishing along the way. Red drum and spotted seatrout also carry region-specific bag or vessel limits that shift at these boundary lines, so keep a GPS handy and use the FWC’s published boundary maps.

Licenses You Need Before You Fish

None of the limits above matter if you are fishing without the right license. A Florida resident annual saltwater or freshwater license runs $17; non-residents pay $47 for either.14Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Recreational Saltwater Licenses and Permits Florida residents fishing only from shore or a shore-attached structure can obtain a free Resident Saltwater Shoreline License, which covers wading but not any fishing from a boat or from a spot reached by boat.15Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Saltwater Shoreline Fishing Information Non-residents are not eligible for the shoreline license.

Youth ages 8 through 15 can fish without a license, and Florida residents with qualifying disabilities can obtain a no-cost hunting and fishing license with documentation from the Social Security Administration or the Department of Veterans Affairs.16Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Persons with Disabilities Resident Hunting/Fishing License

Anglers targeting reef fish (snapper, grouper, amberjack, hogfish) from a private vessel also need a free State Reef Fish Angler designation, even if they already hold a valid license or are otherwise exempt. Anglers under 16 and anyone fishing from a licensed charter or headboat are not required to have it. It renews annually at no cost through GoOutdoorsFlorida.com or the Fish|Hunt Florida app.17Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. State Reef Fish Survey

Penalties for Breaking a Limit

Exceeding a bag or size limit, or harvesting a species during a closed season, is a “Level Two” violation under Florida law, and the penalties escalate with prior convictions over the preceding decade.18The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 379.401 – Penalties

  • A first offense with no prior Level Two conviction within three years is a second-degree misdemeanor carrying up to 60 days in jail and a fine of up to $500.19The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 775.082 – Penalties
  • A second offense within three years is a first-degree misdemeanor, up to one year in jail, a fine of up to $1,000, and a minimum mandatory fine of $250.
  • A third offense within five years is a first-degree misdemeanor with a minimum $500 fine and a one-year suspension of your recreational fishing license and the privilege to obtain one.
  • A fourth offense within ten years is a first-degree misdemeanor with a minimum $750 fine and a three-year license suspension.

Officers can seize illegally harvested fish and the gear used to catch them. FWC law enforcement patrols boat ramps, docks, and popular fishing spots, especially in high-traffic seasons, so a cooler check is not a rare event.