Basic Recreational Saltwater Fishing Regulations

Species	Size Limit	Closed Season	Bag Limit & Remarks
Great Amberjack	28" fork		1 per person, per day.
Lesser Amberjack, Banded Rudderfish	Not less than 14" or more than 22" 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. Species includes Marlin, Spearfish, and Sailfish. Measured tip of lower jaw to fork. Federal size limits apply.
Black Drum	Not less than 14" or more than 24"		5 per person per day. May possess one over 24"
Blue fish	12" fork		10 per person per day
Bonefish	18"		1 per person per day
Clams-Hard	1" thick across hinge		one 5 gal. bucket per person or 2 per vessel, whichever is less per day. Illegal to harvest from closed areas. Go to www.floridaaquaculture.com for allowable harvesting areas.
Cobia (Ling)	33" fork		1 per person or 6 per vessel, 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			10 gallons whole per day. 5 traps maximum. Trap requirements apply. Harvest of egg bearing crabs prohibited.
Crab-Stone	2.75" claw	May 16-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: Sport season- last consecutive Wed. & Thurs. of July each year.	24 per vessel or 6 per person per day, whichever is greater. Recreational trapping prohibited. Crawfish permit required. Special bag limit for 2 day sport season. Call BME for current info on sport season.
Dolphin			10 per person per day
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 county). Included in daily Grouper aggregate bag limit.
Grouper- Red, Scamp, Yellowfin, Yellowmouth	20"		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 BME for details.
Mackerel - Spanish	12" fork		15 per person per day. Transfer of Spanish Mackerel to other vessels at sea is prohibited.
Mullet Striped or Black		Feb. 1 - Aug. 31, 50 per person per day maximum 100 per vessel	Sept. 1 - Jan. 31, 50 per person or per vessel, whichever is less. Contact BME for additional restrictions in Pinellas & Charlotte counties.
Oysters	3"	June, July, Aug., in Dixie, Wakulla, 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). Apalachiola 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 10" or more than 20" fork		10 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" fork		2 fish per person or per vessel per 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" Atlantic		1 per person per day Atlantic.
Scallops - Bay		September 11 - June 30	2 gallons whole or 1 pint meat per person per day, no more than 10 gallons whole or 1/2 gallon meat per vessel anytime. Harvest allowed only in state waters of the Gulf of Mexico north of latitude 20 degrees, 17 minutes and 02 seconds north ( from the south bank of the mouth of the Suwannee River to near channel marker 21 westward to the outer limits of state waters.)
Sea Bass - Black	10"		20 per person per day Atlantic
Shad			10 aggregate per day. American, Alabama, and Hickory are part of aggregate limit. Hook and line gear only.
Shark			1 per person or 2 per vessel per day, whichever is less. Practice of finning and filleting at sea prohibited. See list below for protected species.
Sheepshead	12"		15 per person per day. Measured from the most forward point of the head to the rear center edge of the tail.
Shrimp		April & May closed to Nassau, Duval, St. John's Putnam, Flagler & Clay counties.	5 gallons per head per person o vessel per day, whichever is less. Must be landed in a whole condition. Contact BME for closed areas.
Snapper - Black & Wenchman			Included within 10 per person per day Snapper aggregate bag limit
Snapper - Cubera	Not less than 12" or more than 30"		Included within 10 per person per day snapper aggregate bag limit if under 30". Allowed 2 Cubera Snapper over 30" per person or vessel per day, whichever is less. 30" or larger not included within the Snapper aggregate bag limit.
Snapper- Gray (Mangrove)	10"		5 per person per day. Included within 10 per person per day Snapper aggregate bag limit.
Snapper - Lane	8"		Included within 10 per person per day Snapper aggregate bag limit if harvested from Atlantic. Lane Snapper harvested from Gulf of Mexico not included within the Snapper aggregate bag limit.
Snapper - Mutton	16"		Included within 10 per person per day Snapper Aggregate bag limit.
Snapper- Red	20" Atlantic, 16" Gulf	Closed Nov. 1 to April 14 Gulf only.	2 per person per day Atlantic, 4 per person per day Gulf. Included within 10 per person per day Snapper aggregate bag limit.
Snapper - Schoolmaster	10"		Included within 10 per person per day aggregate bag limit.
Snapper- Vermilion	10"		10 per person per day. Vermilion Snapper harvested from state waters in the Gulf of Mexico or the Atlantic not included within the Snapper aggregate bag limit.
Snapper - all other	12"		Included within the 10 per person per day aggregate bag limit. Includes Blackfin, Dog, Mahogany, Queen, Silk and Yellowtail.
Snook (all species)	Not less than 26" or more than 34"	Dec. 15 to Jan 31 of each year & June, July & Aug.	2 per person per day. Snook permit required when saltwater license required. State regulations apply in federal waters. Illegal to buy or sell Snook.
Spotted Sea Trout	Not less than 15" or more than 20" (statewide) except one fish over 20" per person.	NE & NW regions- February S. Region- Nov.& Dec.	NE & NW regions- 5 per person per day. S. Region- 4 per person per day.
Tarpon			2 fish possession limit. Requires $50 Tarpon tag to possess or harvest.
Triggerfish (Gray)	12"		All other species of Triggerfish have live landing & live well requirements.
Tripletail	15"		2 per person per day. Hook and line gear only. No snatch hooks.
Weakfish	12"		4 per person per day.