Harvest Limits
| Sector | Annual Catch Limit |
| Stock | 2,420,000 pounds |
Regulations
| Recreational | Commercial | ||
| Season | Open year-round. If landings reach the stock ACL, harvest will be prohibited for the remainder of the fishing year. | Season | Open year-round. If landings reach the stock ACL, harvest will be prohibited for the remainder of the fishing year. |
| Minimum Size Limit | 12 inches total length | Minimum Size Limit | 12 inches total length |
| Bag Limit | Within the 10-snapper aggregate bag limit which includes gray, mutton, yellowtail, cubera, queen, blackfin, wenchman, and silk snappers. | Trip Limit | none |
| Permit | State issued recreational license/angler registry, federal angler registry or Federal charter/headboat permit for reef fish | Permit | Commercial vessel permit for reef fish is required. |
| Gear | Non-stainless steel circle hooks are required when fishing with natural baits. At least one dehooking device is required and must be used to remove hooks. | Gear | Non-stainless steel circle hooks are required when fishing with natural baits. At least one dehooking device is required and must be used to remove hooks. |
Description:
Gray snapper, also called mangrove snapper or “mangoes,” are found throughout the Gulf of Mexico. They can vary in coloration, but are generally dark gray and brown on the upper half, with pink and orange coloration on the lower half of the fish. Their tail is broad and slightly forked. Males and females are largely indistinguishable from one another. Two stocks exist in the southeastern US: the Gulf of Mexico stock, and the Atlantic stock. The Gulf stock occupies the Gulf of Mexico east to approximately Biscayne Bay, near the Miami-Dade/Monroe County line in south Florida.
Maximum observed age: 32 years; 28 years used in SEDAR 51
Maximum weight: 48.83 lbs (22.15 kg) whole weight (West Florida/Alabama)
Maximum length: ~35 inches (89 cm) FL
Life History and Distribution:
Gray snapper occur in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate waters from Brazil to Bermuda, and throughout the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea. Spawning occurs primarily in the summer months, between May and September. Gray snapper spend their first month of life in a larval phase, floating as plankton. As juveniles, gray snapper settle nearshore in estuaries, seagrass beds or shallow reefs, and gradually move offshore as they grow larger. Adults are often reef- or structure-associated (SEDAR 51, 2017).