Dates set for recreational harvest of snook in Florida’s various management regions

The recreational harvest of snook in the Northeast, Indian River Lagoon and Southeast management regions will open Feb. 1, and remain open through May 31. This includes all Florida state and inland waters as well as adjacent federal waters within each management region.

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. Through this approach, seven metrics are used to evaluate the fishery by region, adding a holistic perspective to management decisions and allowing the FWC to be more responsive to regional concerns. To learn more, see MyFWC.com/Snook.

Other regulations include:

• No commercial harvest or sale of snook is permitted.

• Must remain in whole condition until landed ashore.

• When on a for-hire trip, captain and crew may not retain a bag limit.

• Allowable gear: hook and line only.

• License requirements: Snook permit and recreational fishing license. (Prior to purchasing a snook permit, check current regulations in the area you plan to fish. All sales are final. Refunds will not be given even if the species you plan to target is closed to harvest.)

A map of the Charlotte Harbor Snook Management Region boundaries. FLORIDA FISH AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATIO COMMISSION / COURTESY IMAGE

Charlotte Harbor Region

The northern coastal boundary is located at 27°04.727’ North Latitude, near the Venice Municipal Airport, and the region extends south to 26°15.227’ North Latitude, near Vanderbilt Beach Road in Collier County. Includes all inland waters of the area colored yellow on the map. Includes all waters of the Caloosahatchee,

Myakka and Peace rivers and their tributaries. Does not include Lake Okeechobee.

• Closed Season: Dec. 1 to end of February, and May 1 to Sept. 30

• Slot limit: Not less than 28 inches or more than 33 inches total length

• Bag limit: One fish per person per day

Snook has long been a popular sportfish in Florida and its harvest has been regulated since the mid-1950s. In 1985, snook were considered severely depleted and conservative management strategies were suggested to minimize harvest and increase the chances of snook recovering.

Over the decades, regulations were adopted to prohibit commercial harvest or sale of snook, implement the “snook stamp” requirement, and refine the seasons and slot limits. These regulation changes have helped increase the abundance and size of snook. Snook stocks have rebounded and are currently exceeding the FWC’s management goal of 40% spawning potential ratio (SPR) on both the Gulf and Atlantic coasts of Florida. SPR is the percent of the total biomass of mature fish in a fished population compared to the number that would exist if the population were not fished.

In 2023, FWC adopted a new regional management approach for snook that brings a holistic view to management decisions by using multiple metrics (SPR, relative abundance, habitat, harmful algal blooms, fishing effort, temperature and stakeholder feedback) to evaluate the fishery on a smaller regional scale. Each year, FWC will evaluate the snook fishery in each management region using these metrics, and key findings will be summarized in “Annual Review” publications ( www.myfwc.com/media/31620/chsnookannualreview.pdf ). ¦

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