Gag Grouper regulations
Trolling plugs and bottom fishing live baits on hard bottom and ledges. Gags push shallow in cooler months. Seasons differ by coast and by state versus federal water.
Applies to: state and adjacent federal waters · Licenses: State Reef Fish Survey participation is mandatory to fish for grouper in Florida waters. Goliath Grouper requires a permit for harvest.
| Species / zone | Season | Size | Bag | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gag Grouper Gulf boundarystate and federal waters unless specified, excluding all state waters of Monroe County; Gulf state waters are from shore to 9 miles | open now Open September 1-30, 2026. | 24” TL | 2 per person within 4 grouper aggregate | Reef fish gear requirements apply and must be landed with the head and fins intact. 0 fish bag limit for Charter Captain and Crew |
| Gag Grouper Atlantic boundarystate and federal waters unless specified, including all state waters of Monroe County; Atlantic state waters are from shore to 3 miles | closed now State and Federal: Open May 1 - August 1 | 24” TL | State: 1 gag or black within the 3 grouper aggregate Federal: 1 gag or black within the 3 grouper aggregate Vessel Limit: 2 gag per vessel per day, not to exceed the daily bag limit, whichever is more restrictive | Reef fish gear requirements apply and must be landed with head and fins intact. For-hire captain and crew retention prohibited |
- Gulf Aggregate Bag Limit: May only possess/harvest no more than a total combination of 4 grouper species per person/per day.
- Atlantic Aggregate Bag Limit: May only possess/harvest no more than a total combination of 3 grouper/tilefish species per person/per day.
- Several species of Gulf grouper (red, black, scamp, yellowfin and yellowmouth) are closed Feb. 1-March 31 seaward of the 20-fathom break.
- Several species of Atlantic grouper (red, black, yellowfin, yellowmouth, scamp, rock hind, red hind, coney and graysby) are closed Jan. 1 - April 30 in all state and federal waters of the Atlantic including all state waters off Monroe County (Atlantic and Gulf sides).
- During the Monroe County closure, anglers can harvest grouper in open federal waters of the Gulf and return to port in Monroe County by traveling through closed state waters of the Atlantic as long as the vessel proceeds directly to port without stopping to fish.
Source: FWC, extracted 2026-09-12. Review flags: The page lists 'Gag Grouper Season Open Sept. 1-30, 2026' in the header, but the detailed Gulf regulation section also states 'Open September 1-30, 2026'. The Atlantic section states 'Open May 1 - August 1' but the header mentions a closure starting August 2. The JSON reflects the detailed section text for seasons, with the header closure noted in closed_periods for Atlantic Gag.; For Gulf Gag Grouper, the header states 'Harvest will be closed on Oct. 1 for the remainder of the year', which is reflected in the closed_periods.; For Atlantic Gag Grouper, the header states 'closes August 2', which is reflected in the closed_periods, although the detailed section says 'Open May 1 - August 1'.; The 'Aggregate bag limit' is a combined limit across species, not a per-species limit, but is represented in the bag_text for each species to ensure the constraint is visible.
Seasonal pattern
Forecasts by region
- Gag Grouper in Panhandle
- Gag Grouper in Big Bend and Nature Coast
- Gag Grouper in Tampa Bay
- Gag Grouper in Sarasota Bay and Charlotte Harbor
- Gag Grouper in Southwest and Ten Thousand Islands
- Gag Grouper in Florida Keys
- Gag Grouper in Southeast Florida
- Gag Grouper in Treasure Coast
- Gag Grouper in Space Coast
- Gag Grouper in First Coast