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Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
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April 24, 2024

Suggested Tweet: Recreational harvest of #snook in Panhandle, Big Bend, Tampa Bay, Sarasota Bay,
Charlotte Harbor and Southwest regions will close 5/1: https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/
FLFFWCC/bulletins/398530f @MyFWC #Florida #fishing 

Recreational harvest of snook for Florida’s west coast will close May 1 

The recreational harvest of snook in the Panhandle, Big Bend, Tampa Bay, Sarasota Bay, Charlotte
Harbor and Southwest management regions will close May 1. The recreational harvest season will
reopen Sept. 1, in the Panhandle, Big Bend, Tampa Bay and Sarasota Bay regions. The recreational
harvest season will reopen Oct. 1, in the Charlotte Harbor and Southwest regions. 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, visit MyFWC.com/Snook. 

Panhandle
Open season:
 March 1 – April 30 and Sept. 1 – Nov. 30.
Closed season: Dec. 1 – end of February and May 1 – Aug. 31.
Bag limit: One fish per person per day.
Slot limit: 28–33 inches total length.
Boundaries: The western boundary is at 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.
Includes all inland waters of the counties named and colored yellow on the map. Does not include
all waters of the Ochlockonee Bay, the Ochlockonee River and its tributaries.

map of Panhandle Snook Management Region

Big Bend
Open season:
 March 1 – April 30 and Sept. 1 – Nov. 30.
Closed season: Dec. 1 – end of February and May 1 – Aug. 31.
Bag limit: One fish per person per day.
Slot limit: 28–33 inches total length.
Boundaries: The western coastal boundary is at 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. Includes all waters of the Ochlockonee, Withlacoochee and Anclote rivers and
their tributaries. This region also includes all inland waters of the counties named and colored yellow
on the map.

map of Big Bend Snook Management Region

Tampa Bay
Open season:
 March 1 – April 30 and Sept. 1 – Nov. 30.
Closed season: Dec. 1 – end of February and May 1 – Aug. 31.
Bag limit: One fish per person per day.
Slot limit: 28–33 inches total length.
Boundaries: The northern coastal boundary is at Fred Howard Park, near the border of Pasco and Pinellas
counties, and the region extends south to State Road 64 in Manatee County. Includes all inland waters of
the area colored yellow on the map. Includes all waters of the Alafia, Braden, Manatee and Hillsborough
rivers and their tributaries. Does not include the waters of Palma Sola Bay and all waters of the Anclote
River and its tributaries.

map of tampa bay Snook Management Region

Sarasota Bay
Open season:
 March 1 – April 30 and Sept. 1 – Nov. 30.
Closed season: Dec. 1 – end of February and May 1 – Aug. 31.
Bag limit: One fish per person per day.
Slot limit: 28–33 inches total length.
Boundaries: The northern coastal boundary is at State Road 64 in Manatee County and the region extends
south to 27°04.727’ north latitude, near the Venice Municipal Airport. Includes all waters of Palma Sola Bay,
Phillippi Creek, Cow Pen Slough Canal and Curry Creek. Includes all inland waters of the area colored yellow
on the map. Does not include the waters of the Braden and Manatee rivers.

map of sarasota bay Snook Management Region

Charlotte Harbor
Open season:
 March 1 – April 30 and Oct. 1 – Nov. 30.
Closed season: Dec. 1 – end of February and May 1 – Sept. 30.
Bag limit: One fish per person per day.
Slot limit: 28–33 inches total length.
Boundaries: The northern coastal boundary is 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.

map of charlotte harbor Snook Management Region Southwest
Open season:
 March 1 – April 30 and Oct. 1 – Nov. 30.
Closed season: Dec. 1 – end of February and May 1 – Sept. 30.
Bag limit: One fish per person per day.
Slot limit: 28–33 inches total length.
Boundaries: The northern boundary is at 26°15.227’ north latitude, near Vanderbilt Beach Road in Collier County,
and the region extends through the Florida Keys to the Monroe/Miami-Dade county line. Includes all inland waters
of the area colored yellow on the map and all waters of Everglades National Park.
map of southwest Snook Management Region

For more information on recreational snook regulations, visit MyFWC.com/Snook. This page includes the
snook annual reviews which provide summaries of key findings from the annual evaluation of management
metrics for each region.

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Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission ·
620 S. Meridian Street ·
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1600 ·

(850) 488-4676 GovDelivery logo
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