The recreational harvest season for snook will begin on October 1 in the Charlotte Harbor and Southwest management regions. The season will remain open through November 30, covering all Florida state and inland waters within these areas.
These regional management zones are part of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) approach to managing Florida’s inshore fisheries. The FWC uses seven metrics to evaluate the fishery by region, allowing it to address local concerns more effectively.
In Charlotte Harbor, the open seasons are from March 1 to April 30 and from October 1 to November 30. The closed seasons are from December 1 to the end of February and from May 1 to September 30. The bag limit is one fish per person per day, with a slot limit of 28–33 inches total length. The northern coastal boundary is near the Venice Municipal Airport, extending south near Vanderbilt Beach Road in Collier County. This includes all waters of the Caloosahatchee, Myakka, and Peace rivers and their tributaries but excludes Lake Okeechobee.
For the Southwest region, the open seasons are also from March 1 to April 30 and from October 1 to November 30. Closed seasons run from December 1 to the end of February and from May 1 to September 30. Similar bag limits apply here as well—one fish per person per day with a slot limit of 28–33 inches total length. This region extends from near Vanderbilt Beach Road in Collier County through the Florida Keys to the Monroe/Miami-Dade county line, including all waters of Everglades National Park.
To learn more about recreational snook regulations, visit MyFWC.com/Snook for information on regional regulations, snook permits, maps, and annual reviews that summarize key findings from each region's evaluation metrics.
Florida's reputation as the "Fishing Capital of the World" is attributed largely to careful resource management and conservation efforts by ethical anglers. This alliance has helped restore or sustain valuable fisheries such as snook, redfish, and spotted seatrout. As angler numbers grow, it becomes increasingly important to release non-harvested fish safely with minimal harm. For tips on best fish handling practices and catch-and-release methods, visit MyFWC.com/FishHandling.