South Atlantic Red Snapper Opens This Friday
The federal recreational red snapper season in the South Atlantic opens at 12:01 a.m. local time on Friday, October 9, 2026, and closes at 12:01 a.m. on Monday, October 12. NOAA Fisheries says that is one day longer than the two-day season in 2025. How you fish it depends on where you launch, because three states are running a separate, longer program.
The federal season (all South Atlantic federal waters)
Dates: October 9 to October 12, 2026 (three days). Bag limit: 1 red snapper per person per day. Size limit: none, minimum or maximum. After the season: the bag and possession limit is zero. Recreational catch limit: 22,797 fish. NOAA says the length of the season is the accountability measure that keeps harvest in line with this number. Commercial sector: closed August 24, 2026 and stays closed through December 31, 2026. North Carolina did not apply for a state permit this year. NOAA therefore set the federal season length by projecting from past North Carolina landings and catch rates.
Florida, Georgia and South Carolina: a separate 14-day program
NOAA has issued exempted fishing permits (EFPs) to Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. These allow eligible participants to fish for red snapper from October 9 through October 22, 2026. The states are testing their own data collection and management approaches.
Harvest limits under the EFPs are:
Florida: 83,720 fish Georgia: 4,859 fish South Carolina: 8,695 fish Key rules from NOAA's bulletin:
You can't fish both seasons. Participants may land or possess red snapper only under their state's EFP, "and not in addition to the federal recreational season." Anglers in the EFP states who participate cannot also use the 3-day federal season. Eligibility: private anglers and for-hire operators who hold the necessary state license(s) and federal permit(s) where they fish and land. Trip rule: each trip must begin and end at a landing location in the state where the participant is registered.
Possible December season: if the states and NOAA find the harvest limits weren't reached, a second season may be held in December 2026. NOAA says this will be decided jointly after reviewing October data. It is not guaranteed.
Why this year looks different
NOAA's bulletin says four EFPs were first awarded in early May 2026 to Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. They were rescinded after the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia issued a preliminary injunction halting all activity authorized under them. The three new EFPs were modified to address the court's decision. NOAA says the goal is to improve recreational data collection and test state-specific management while keeping catches and discards within sustainable levels, as the South Atlantic stock is being rebuilt.
Before you go
Confirm which program applies to you (federal 3-day season vs. your state's EFP) and whether you need to register through your state agency. Sign-up details were not verified for this post; check the contacts below. Sign up for NOAA's South Atlantic recreational text alerts: text SATLRECFISH to 888777.
State contacts listed by NOAA:
Florida: (850) 488-4676, AtlanticEFP@myfwc.com Georgia: gadnr.org South Carolina: (843) 953-9300, redsnapper@dnr.sc.gov North Carolina: (252) 515-5523 Regulations can change quickly. Verify the details with NOAA Fisheries and your state agency before you head out.
Sources
NOAA Fisheries bulletin FB26-052: 2026 Federal Recreational Red Snapper Season and Issuance of Exempted Fishing Permits (Sept. 21, 2026) Federal Register, 91 FR 60334: 2026 South Atlantic Red Snapper Recreational Fishing Season (Sept. 23, 2026) NOAA Fisheries: South Atlantic Red Snapper State Data Collection and Management NOAA news release: 2026 federal recreational red snapper season, exempted fishing permits in South Atlantic