Gov. Ron DeSantis points to increases in fishing due to state management of the Florida Gulf red snapper season. The governor spoke Monday, Nov. 10, 2025, at the Amelia Island Marina, | News4Jax
Published on November 10, 2025 at 2:27 pm
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Florida is asking federal officials to allow state management of the Atlantic Ocean recreational red snapper fishing season, starting next year.
The request, if approved, would also allow the state to expand recreational red snapper fishing from its current two-day federal limit to 39 days in 2026.
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Speaking at the Amelia Island Marina on Monday, Gov. Ron DeSantis said the state should be able to control management of the recreational red snapper season off its own shores. Right now, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has reduced the Atlantic recreational season to only July 11 and 12, which DeSantis said is not acceptable.
“The problem is that the state had not been given the ability to manage the Atlantic red snapper, and under Biden, we had no chance to get anywhere. In fact, they wanted to shut it down even more and be more restrictive on what they were already being,” DeSantis said. “But we took the same approach that we have done with the Gulf red snapper. We know we can do this effectively, and we know this is something that could make a big difference for our recreational anglers, particularly in Northeast Florida.”
Red snapper fishing season concerns
The federal government oversees the fishing season along the East Coast due to concerns that the South Atlantic red snapper stock is overfished. That is part of a population rebuilding plan, including a temporary rule last year to reduce overfishing of red snapper in the South Atlantic.
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But Florida was granted permission to handle the Gulf Coast season. And in April, the state approved a 126-day Gulf red snapper recreational season for this year, the longest since Florida assumed management of the fish.
The expanded season includes additional summer and fall fishing days, including major holidays such as Memorial Day, Independence Day, Veterans Day and Thanksgiving.
“There are way more fish than what the federal government tells you there are,” DeSantis said on Monday. “People see it when they are out there doing it, and I heard that from everybody. So we went in and worked with (the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission), and we have the best ability to get this data.”
Since assuming management in the Gulf, the red snapper season has risen from three to 127 days. The FWC’s request to the U.S. Commerce Department would allow Florida to set up two Atlantic red snapper seasons each year.
- Summer: May 22 (Memorial Day Weekend) through June 20.
- Fall: Three-day weekends in October (Oct. 2–4, 9–11 and 16–18).
The governor pointed out the economic benefits of fishing and boating in Florida, which he said has a $31.3 billion annual economic impact on the state, a 56% increase since 2018.
Anyone fishing for red snapper from a private recreational vessel — in state or federal waters — must be registered as a state reef fish angler, even if exempt from fishing license requirements. Registration is available at GoOutdoorsFlorida.com.
For more on recreational snapper regulations, go to MyFWC.com/Marine.
