What's Biting FL
Southeast Florida

Mangrove (Gray) Snapper in Southeast Florida

Mangrove (Gray) Snapper
Lutjanus griseus · Photo: Everglades National Park, Public domain

Light leaders and small live baits or shrimp around docks, bridges, reefs and mangroves. Summer offshore spawning bite is the peak.

Next seven days

DayBiteWhy
Fri, Oct 307Breezy 23 mph. Storms possible, fish early and watch the sky. Strong tide swing 2.6 ft
Sat, Oct 315Strong wind 30 mph. Rain likely 73%. Storms possible, fish early and watch the sky. Strong tide swing 2.3 ft
Sun, Nov 14Strong wind 25 mph. Rain likely 86%. Storms possible, fish early and watch the sky. Strong tide swing 2.1 ft
Mon, Nov 25Breezy 18 mph. Rain likely 71%. Storms possible, fish early and watch the sky. Strong tide swing 2.0 ft
Tue, Nov 36Storms possible, fish early and watch the sky. Strong tide swing 2.0 ft
Wed, Nov 47Light wind. Storms possible, fish early and watch the sky. Strong tide swing 2.2 ft
Thu, Nov 57Light wind. Storms possible, fish early and watch the sky. Strong tide swing 2.1 ft

Seasonal pattern

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Editorial baseline for Florida. Green months are prime, yellow fair, red slow. Preferred water temperature 65–88°F.

Regulations that apply here

Applies to: state and federal waters unless specified; Gulf state waters are from shore to 9 miles; Atlantic state waters are from shore to 3 miles · Licenses: State Reef Fish Survey

Species / zoneSeasonSizeBagNotes
Gray (Mangrove) snapper
Atlantic
boundaryAtlantic state waters are from shore to 3 miles
open now
Open year-round
State: 10" TL Federal: 12" TLState: 5 per person within the 10 snapper aggregate bag limit Federal: 10 per person within the 10 snapper aggregate bag limitSpecial regulations apply for this species when fishing in Biscayne National Park

Source: FWC, extracted 2026-10-29. Review flags: Gulf Red Snapper season is complex with multiple open/closed segments; closed_periods are inferred from the listed open dates and may not capture all nuances.; Atlantic Red Snapper is listed as Closed for both State and Federal; exact closed dates are not specified, so a full-year closure is assumed.; Species groups (e.g., Black Wenchman, Queen, Blackfin, and Silk; Yellowtail, Dog, and Mahogany) are combined into single entries as presented on the page.; Size limits for Gulf Gray (Mangrove) snapper differ between State (10" TL) and Federal (12" TL) waters; both are represented in size_text.

See all Mangrove (Gray) Snapper rules statewide.