Florida Saltwater Fishing Regulations

Quick access to Florida saltwater seasons, size limits, bag limits, gear requirements and official fishing regulations.

Regulations can change. Saltwater Supply provides this information as a convenient reference for anglers. Always verify current regulations with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and the appropriate federal agency before harvesting fish.

Set for Florida Gulf Coast / Panama City Beach. Which rules apply depends on where the fish is harvested, so Florida state waters and federal Gulf waters are always shown separately.

Find a species

21 species listed

• Red DrumRedfish · Red Fish · Spottail Bass
• Spotted SeatroutSpeckled Trout · Specks · Trout
• FlounderSouthern Flounder · Gulf Flounder
• Red SnapperGenuine Red Snapper · Sow Snapper
• Gray SnapperMangrove Snapper · Mango
• Vermilion SnapperBeeliner · B-Liner
• Spanish MackerelSpanish
• King MackerelKingfish · Smoker King
• SheepsheadConvict Fish · Bay Snapper
• Florida PompanoPompano
• CobiaLing · Lemonfish
• Gray TriggerfishTriggerfish · Trigger
• Greater AmberjackAJ · Amberjack · Reef Donkey
• Gag GrouperGag · Grouper
• Red GrouperGrouper
• Black DrumDrum
• BluefishBlues
• TripletailBlackfish
• TarponSilver King
• SnookLinesider
• SharksShark · Blacktip · Bull Shark

What's open?

Status comes from records a person has checked against the official page. Where the official information is not clear, or a season is set fresh each year and has not been confirmed yet, this shows “Verify current regulations” instead of a guess.

Season information is being checked against the official pages. Use the official FWC links below in the meantime.

A–Z species directory

On Florida's Gulf coast the water is split into two zones with their own rules: Florida state waters closest to shore, and federal Gulf waters beyond them. The same fish can have a different size limit, bag limit or season depending on which zone it was harvested in, so this page never blends the two.

Where the line sits, and how special management zones are drawn, is set by FWC and federal managers — use the official maps rather than an approximate phone location to decide where you are fishing.

Each species card names the method that applies. FWC's own guidance is the authority on how to measure and includes diagrams.

Understanding bag limits

Daily bag limit

The number of that species one angler may harvest in a day.

Vessel limit

A cap for the whole boat, no matter how many anglers are aboard. When a species has one, the boat limit applies even if each angler's daily bag would add up to more.

Aggregate bag limit

A shared limit counted across a group of species — for example several reef species counted together, so fish of each species add up to one total.

Possession

Limits cover what you have with you, on the water and coming in. Rules can differ for fish being transported or stored.

State vs federal limits

A species can have one limit in Florida state waters and a different one in federal Gulf waters. Which applies depends on where the fish was harvested.

These are plain-language explanations of the terms used by FWC. For the wording that carries legal weight, read the full rule.

Reef fish carry their own gear requirements, and they are not identical in state and federal waters. The requirements cover circle hooks, a dehooking device, a descending device or venting tool for releasing fish, and in some cases natural bait. Because these requirements change and differ by zone, this page links you straight to the official rule rather than restating it.

• Circle hooks — required in defined situations when fishing for reef fish.
• Dehooking device — required to be aboard and ready to use.
• Descending device or venting tool — required aboard for releasing reef fish in defined waters.
• Natural bait — hook-type requirements can depend on the bait used.

Official sources