Drew Dixon
Recreational snook fishing officially got underway Sunday in Florida, lasting through Nov. 30 in some areas and until Dec. 14 in other areas.
While the harvesting of snook for recreational purposes encompasses most of the East Coast of Florida, there are some limitations on the West Coast. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) advises anglers to take note of limits and varying regulations in different regions of Florida when it comes to snook fishing.
The one regulation consistent throughout the state is that there is a limit of catching one snook per person per day, and each snook is 28 to 33 inches long. However, regarding the regional management of snook season in Florida, there are several variations on the season and other limitations.
“The harvest season in the Panhandle, Big Bend, Tampa Bay, and Sarasota Bay management regions will remain open through Nov. 30. The harvest season in the Southeast, Indian River Lagoon, and Northeast management regions will remain open through Dec. 14. This includes all Florida state and inland waters within each management region,” an FWC news release said.
There are additional limitations specific to regional areas of the state as part of the FWC’s approach to managing the population of the popular sport fish. Most additional advisories from the FWC focus on geographical boundary limits for landing snook.
— Florida Panhandle: The western boundary is the Florida-Alabama border, and the region extends to the eastern coastal boundary at 84°20.800ꞌ west longitude in Franklin County near Alligator Point. It does not include all waters of the Ochlockonee Bay, the Ochlockonee River, and its tributaries. Snook season ends Nov. 30.
— Big Bend: The western coastal boundary is 84°20.800ꞌ west longitude in Franklin County near Alligator Point. The region extends east and south to Fred Howard Park, near the border of Pasco and Pinellas counties. It includes all waters of the Ochlockonee, Withlacoochee, and Anclote rivers and their tributaries. Snook season ends Nov. 30.
— Tampa Bay: The northern coastal boundary is Fred Howard Park, near the border of Pasco and Pinellas counties and the region extends south to State Road 64 in Manatee County. It includes all waters of the Alafia, Braden, Manatee, and Hillsborough rivers and their tributaries. It does not include the waters of Palma Sola Bay and all waters of the Anclote River and its tributaries. Snook season ends Nov. 30.
— Sarasota Bay: The northern coastal boundary is State Road 64 in Manatee County, and the region extends south to 27°04.727’ north latitude, near the Venice Municipal Airport. It includes all the waters of Palma Sola Bay, Phillippi Creek, Cow Pen Slough Canal, and Curry Creek. It does not include the waters of the Braden and Manatee rivers. Snook season ends Nov. 30.
— Southeast Florida: The northern boundary is the Martin-Palm Beach county line, and the region extends south to the Miami-Dade/Monroe county line. Includes all waters of Hillsboro Canal, Miami Canal, North New River Canal, West Palm Beach Canal, and the Loxahatchee River and its tributaries. It does not include Lake Okeechobee and Everglades National Park. Snook season ends Dec. 14.
— Indian River Lagoon: The northern coastal boundary is at Lytle Avenue/South Causeway in New Smyrna Beach, and the region extends south to the Martin-Palm Beach county line. It includes all waters of the Kissimmee River and Lake Okeechobee, but not the Loxahatchee and St. Johns rivers and their tributaries. Snook season ends Dec. 14.
— Northeast Florida: The northern coastal boundary is at the Florida-Georgia border, and the region extends south to the Lytle Avenue/South Causeway in New Smyrna Beach. It includes all waters of the St. Johns River and its tributaries. It does not include the waters of the Withlacoochee and Kissimmee rivers, Cypress Lake, and lakes Hatchineha and Kissimmee. Snook season ends Dec. 14.
The FWC has additional regulatory information on snook fishing on its website.
