The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has announced that the recreational harvest of snook on Florida’s west coast will close on May 1. The closure affects the Panhandle, Big Bend, Tampa Bay, Sarasota Bay, Charlotte Harbor, and Southwest management regions. Following the closure, the recreational harvest season will reopen on September 1 in the Panhandle, Big Bend, Tampa Bay, and Sarasota Bay regions. In the Charlotte Harbor and Southwest regions, the season will reopen on October 1. These closures apply to all Florida state and inland waters, as well as adjacent federal waters.
The FWC’s management approach for these fisheries involves evaluating seven metrics across different regions, allowing for responsive regional management. More information about the management of snook fisheries can be found at MyFWC.com/Snook.
For each region, the bag limit remains at one fish per person per day, with a slot limit of 28–33 inches total length. Specific boundaries for each region are outlined by the FWC.
The Panhandle region, with boundaries stretching from the Florida-Alabama border to east of Franklin County, has an open season from March 1 to April 30 and September 1 to November 30. The Big Bend region extends from Franklin County to Fred Howard Park, with the same open season dates.
Tampa Bay’s region covers Fred Howard Park to State Road 64, while Sarasota Bay extends from State Road 64 to near Venice Municipal Airport. Both regions also adhere to the March 1 to April 30 and September 1 to November 30 open season.
Charlotte Harbor’s region extends from near the Venice Municipal Airport to near Vanderbilt Beach Road in Collier County, with an open season from March 1 to April 30 and October 1 to November 30. The Southwest region, including the Florida Keys, shares the same open season dates as Charlotte Harbor.
Anglers and interested parties are encouraged to visit MyFWC.com/Snook for detailed information and annual review summaries of snook management.
