Recreational anglers targeting snook along Florida’s Atlantic coast will need to mark their calendars, as the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has announced the fishery will close to harvest starting June 1. The closure affects the Northeast, Indian River Lagoon, and Southeast snook management regions.
The popular game fish will be catch-and-release only in these areas until the season reopens on October 1, 2025. This seasonal closure applies to all Florida state and inland waters, as well as adjacent federal waters within the specified regions.
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According to the FWC, these regulations are integral to their holistic management approach for Florida’s key inshore fisheries. This strategy utilizes seven distinct metrics to evaluate the snook fishery by region, enabling more adaptive and regionally responsive management decisions.
“These regions and regulations are part of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) holistic management approach for Florida’s most popular inshore fisheries,” the agency stated in a release.
During the open seasons (Feb. 1–May 31 and Sept. 1–Dec. 14 for these East Coast regions), the bag limit is one snook per person per day, with a slot limit of 28–32 inches total length.
The specific boundaries for the affected regions are as follows:
- Northeast Region: Extends from the Florida-Georgia border south to the Lytle Avenue/South Causeway in New Smyrna Beach. It includes the waters of the St. Johns River and its tributaries but excludes the Withlacoochee and Kissimmee rivers, Cypress Lake, and lakes Hatchineha and Kissimmee.
- Indian River Lagoon Region: Runs from the Lytle Avenue/South Causeway in New Smyrna Beach south to the Martin-Palm Beach county line. This region includes all waters of the Kissimmee River and Lake Okeechobee but not the Loxahatchee and St. Johns rivers and their tributaries.
- Southeast Region: Covers the area from the Martin-Palm Beach county line south to the Miami-Dade/Monroe county line. It encompasses all waters of the Hillsboro Canal, Miami Canal, North New River Canal, West Palm Beach Canal, and the Loxahatchee River and its tributaries. Lake Okeechobee and Everglades National Park are excluded. Anglers fishing in Biscayne National Park should consult MyFWC.com/BNP for special snook regulations applicable there.
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The FWC encourages anglers to learn more about snook management, including annual reviews and detailed regional information, by visiting their website at MyFWC.com/Snook.
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