Regulations & Licenses
Florida saltwater fishing licenses, size and bag limits, seasons, and how to stay legal.
16 Guides.
Black drum rules Florida 2026: 14–24 inch slot, 5 per day, one fish over 24 inches allowed. No closed season. Which drum to keep and which to release.
How to release tarpon and snook so they survive: keep fish over 40 inches in the water, fight them fast, wet hands, dehook quick. BTT-backed methods.
Gulf cobia rules 2026: 36-inch fork-length minimum, 1 per person, 2 per vessel, open year-round. April–May is the Sarasota window.
Florida saltwater fishing license costs for 2026: $17 resident annual, free shoreline license, $47 nonresident. Exemptions, snook stamps, GoOutdoorsFlorida.
Every Gulf fishing season in one place: snook, grouper, redfish, and seatrout dates, slots, and bag limits for 2026.
Fall flounder closure October 15–November 30; 14-inch minimum, 5-fish bag limit. Gigging legal except during closure. Sarasota pass edges and jetties.
How FWC saltwater regulations work in Sarasota: slot limits, bag limits, seasons, state vs federal waters at 9 miles, and live FWC links for every species.
Sarasota seatrout regulations 2026: 15-19 inch slot, 3 per person daily, open year-round, 1 over-slot per vessel. April 1 regional framework.
Gag grouper opens Sept 1, 2026 in the Gulf — Sept 1–14 state waters, Sept 1–30 federal. Red grouper open year-round, 20-inch minimum. Sizes, bags, gear rules.
Jack crevalle have no size limit in Florida—unregulated species with default 100 lb or 2 fish per day. Year-round fishing with saltwater license.
Gulf state waters: 10-inch minimum, 5-fish bag. Federal waters: 12 inches, 10 fish. Summer spawn June–September on nearshore reefs.
Redfish slot limit in Sarasota: 18-27 inches, 1 per person, open year-round. Bull redfish (over 27 inches) are breeding stock and must be released.
Sheepshead open year-round; 12-inch minimum, 8 per day in Florida 2026. Winter peak Feb–Mar in Sarasota on jetties and pilings.
Snook season reopens September 1, 2026 on Florida's Gulf coast — October 1 south of Venice. Slot 28–33 inches, 1 fish, $10 stamp. Full region-by-region calendar.
Spanish & king mackerel: open year-round in Florida. Spanish 12" minimum, 15 per day; king 24", 3 per day. Fall runs peak October off Sarasota beaches.
Bonnethead and blacktip sharks are legal to keep in Florida with no minimum size. 1 per person per day, 2 per vessel. Permit rules and prohibited species explained.