Grouper Regulations:
 |
| Photo by Kyle Miller |
Grouper are managed differently in the Gulf versus the
Atlantic. Click on the links below for information about grouper regulations in Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico state waters.
New State Regulations
Gulf: The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation 
Commission set the 2013 gag grouper recreational season in Gulf of Mexico state waters at the February 2013 meeting. Learn more about the 2013 season.
New Federal Regulations
Gulf: NOAA Fisheries announced the 2013 recreational gag grouper season in federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico will be open from July 1 to Dec. 3, with the first day of the closure being Dec. 4. Learn more about this announcement.
The February through March closed season for shallow-water groupers (red, black, yellowfin, scamp and yellowmouth) in the Gulf of Mexico shoreward of 20 fathoms has been eliminated. The FWC Commission will consider consistency in Gulf state waters by eliminating the February through March state waters grouper closure at a future Commission meeting. A map of the 20-fathom boundary is posted below the “Other Species” chart near the bottom of this page. Learn more about this announcement.
Atlantic: The annual catch limit for snowy grouper and golden tilefish has been reached in Atlantic federal waters. Both of these species are closed to recreational harvest through December 31, 2013. Learn more about the snowy grouper 
closure and the golden tilefish closure.
Grouper-Federal Recreational Regulations Chart
For regulations in state waters:
Gulf
Atlantic
| Groupers |
Federal Waters
Gulf of Mexico
|
Federal Waters
Atlantic
|
|---|
| Grouper Aggregate |
4 per person (state waters included) |
3 per person (state waters and Monroe County included) |
|
Goliath/Nassau
|
Harvest prohibited (state waters included)
|
|
Gag
|
22" TL
2 per person within 4 grouper aggregate
NEW: Season open July 1 - Dec. 3
|
24 " TL
1 gag or black grouper combined per person
Closed Jan-Apr
|
|
Black
|
22" TL
within 4 grouper aggregate
NEW: Closed Feb. 1-March 31 seaward of 20 fathoms starting in 2014
"The Edges" closed Jan. 1 - April 30
|
24" TL
1 gag or black grouper combined per person
Closed Jan-Apr
|
|
Red
|
20" TL
4 per person within 4 grouper aggregate
NEW: Closed Feb. 1-March 31 seaward of 20 fathoms starting in 2014
"The Edges" closed Jan 1 - Apr 30
|
20" TL
within 3 grouper aggregate
Closed Jan.- April
|
|
Scamp
|
16" TL
within 4 grouper aggregate
NEW: Closed Feb. 1-March 31 seaward of 20 fathoms starting in 2014
"The Edges" closed Jan 1 - Apr 30
|
|
Yellowfin
|
20" TL
within 4 grouper aggregate
NEW: Closed Feb. 1-March 31 seaward of 20 fathoms starting in 2014
"The Edges" closed Jan 1 - Apr 30
|
|
Yellowmouth
|
within 4 grouper aggregate
NEW: Closed Feb. 1-March 31 seaward of 20 fathoms starting in 2014
|
|
Rock Hind/Red Hind
|
|
within 3 grouper aggregate
Closed Jan-Apr
|
|
Coney/Graysby/Tiger
|
within 3 grouper aggregate
Closed Jan-Apr
Tiger not managed
|
|
Yellowedge/Misty
|
within 4 grouper aggregate (Misty not in aggregate) |
within 3 grouper aggregate |
|
Warsaw/Speckled Hind
|
1 of each per vessel within 4 grouper aggregate
|
Harvest Prohibited |
|
Snowy
|
within 4 grouper aggregate |
1 per vessel within 3 grouper aggregate
NEW: Closed May 31, 2013 - Dec. 31, 2013
|
| Other species | State waters |
Federal Waters
Gulf of Mexico
|
Federal Waters
Atlantic
|
|---|
| Golden Tilefish |
within grouper aggregate; 1 per person Atlantic |
|
1 per person within 3 grouper aggregate
NEW: Closes June 3, 2013, through Dec. 31, 2013
|
| Blueline Tilefish |
100 pounds or 2 whole fish (whichever is less) |
within 20 per person reef fish aggregate |
within 3 grouper aggregate |
| Sand Tilefish |
|
| Black Sea Bass |
Gulf: 10" TL and 100 pounds/person/day
Atlantic: 13" TL with 5 per person bag limit
|
10" TL (state rules apply) |
13" TL
5 per person
***Opens June 1, 2013***
|
| Reef fish as bait |
all fish must be landed in whole condition; legal-sized whole fish may be used as bait but counted against bag limit |
Use prohibited |
must have heads and fins intact through landing |
20-Fathom Map
The February through March closed season for shallow-water groupers (red, black, yellowfin, scamp and yellowmouth) in the Gulf of Mexico shoreward of 20 fathoms has been eliminated. The FWC Commission will consider consistency in Gulf state waters by eliminating the February through March state waters grouper closure at a future Commission meeting. Map provided by NOAA Fisheries.
Additional Grouper Resources
Learn more about grouper biology by clicking on the individual species pages below.
Links for More Information
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