2026 and 2025-2026 South Atlantic Recreational Landings
The Southeast Fisheries Science Center has provided the following preliminary landings estimates for species in the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s area of jurisdiction subject to annual catch limits (ACLs).
This page was updated on: 7/6/2026
- SEASONAL CLOSURES: South Atlantic Seasons and Closures
- TRIP LIMITS AND BAG LIMITS: South Atlantic Fishery Management Council
- FOR THE MOST CURRENT FEDERAL REGULATIONS: Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) part 622 - Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of America, and South Atlantic
- OTHER FISHING YEAR LANDINGS
- 2025 and 2024-2025 fishing years
- 2024 and 2023-2024 fishing years
- Historical Landings for the South Atlantic: from 2018-2023
- Historical Landings for the South Atlantic: through 2017
- FOR ALL LANDINGS: Southeast Region Annual Catch Limit Monitoring
Preliminary Landings* for Fishing Year: January 1 - December 31, 2026
| Species Complex | Jan-Feb | Mar-Apr | May-Jun | Jul-Aug | Sep-Oct | Nov-Dec | Total Reported | Annual Catch Limit | Dataset | Units | Percent of ACL | Current Status |
| Atlantic spadefish | Landing coming soon | 812,478 | CHTS | ww | 0% | OPEN | ||||||
| Bar Jack | 49,021 | CHTS | ww | 0% | OPEN | |||||||
| Black groupera | 165,750 | MRFSS | ww | 0% | OPEN | |||||||
| Blueline Tilefisha | 116,820 | CHTS | ww | 0% | OPEN | |||||||
| Deepwater complexb | 38,628 | CHTS | ww | 0% | OPEN | |||||||
| Dolphin | 22,850,811 | FES | ww | 0% | OPEN | |||||||
| Gaga | 220,030 | FES | gw | 0% | OPEN | |||||||
| Golden tilefish | 2,741 | FES | numbers | 0% | OPEN | |||||||
| Gray triggerfish | 404,675 | CHTS | ww | 0% | OPEN | |||||||
| Gruntsc | 618,122 | CHTS | ww | 0% | OPEN | |||||||
| Hogfish NC-GA | 988 | CHTS | numbers | 0% | OPEN | |||||||
| Hogfish FLK-EFL | 49,949 | CHTS | numbers | 0% | OPEN | |||||||
| Jacksd | 267,799 | CHTS | ww | 0% | OPEN | |||||||
| Mutton snapper | 127,115 | CHTS | numbers | 0% | OPEN | |||||||
| Porgiesa,e | 106,914 | CHTS | ww | 0% | OPEN | |||||||
| Red Groupera | 90,720 | CHTS | ww | 0% | OPEN | |||||||
| Red Porgya | 44,367 | FES | ww | 0% | OPEN | |||||||
| Scamp and Yellowmouth Grouper Complexa, i | 26,053 | FES | ww | 0% | OPEN | |||||||
| Shallow water groupera,f, i | 46,771 | CHTS | ww | 0% | OPEN | |||||||
| Snappersg | 1,169,308 | CHTS | ww | 0% | OPEN | |||||||
| Snowy Groupera | 1,713 | FES | numbers | 0% | CLOSED on 6/7/2026 | |||||||
| Vermilion snapper | 427,520 | CHTS | ww | 0% | OPEN | |||||||
| Wahoo | 2,814,613 | FES | ww | 0% | OPEN | |||||||
| Wreckfisha | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19,455 | CHTS | ww | 0% | OPEN |
| Red Snapper** | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | 22,797 | CHTS | ww | x | CLOSED |
| Goliath grouper | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | 0 | MRFSS | ww | x | PROHIBITED |
| Nassau grouper | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | 0 | MRFSS | gw | x | PROHIBITED |
| Speckled hind | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | 0 | MRFSS | ww | x | PROHIBITED |
| Warsaw grouper | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | 0 | MRFSS | ww | x | PROHIBITED |
Preliminary Landings* for 2025-2026 Fishing Year: Season Varies (See Table)
*All Units are in pounds whole weight (ww).
*All landings include both MRFSS/MRIP and Headboat landings.
Species Complex | Season | Mar-Apr | May-Jun | Jul-Aug | Sep-Oct | Nov-Dec | Jan-Feb | Total Reported | Annual Catch Limit | Units | Dataset | Percent of ACL | Current Status |
| Greater Amberjack | Mar 1 - Feb 28** | 33,065 | 407,530 | 169,763 | 56,274 | 214,305 | 880,937 | 1,754,350 | ww | FES | 50% | OPEN | |
| King Mackerel | Mar 1 - Feb 28** | 181,130 | 1,653,449 | 1,413,756 | 162,663 | 589,668 | 4,000,666 | 13,922,915 | as reported | FES | 29% | OPEN | |
| Spanish Mackerel | Mar 1 - Feb 28** | 212,457 | 838,331 | 235,157 | 794,000 | 173,106 | 2,253,051 | 2,727,000 | ww | CHTS | 83% | OPEN |
**The new greater amberjack ACL in FES was implemented on 10/26/2023.
**The new King mackerel ACL in FES was implemented on 6/8/2023.
Species Complex | Season | August | Sep-Oct | Nov-Dec | Jan-Feb | Mar-Apr | May-Jun | Jul | Total Reported | Annual Catch Limit (ww) | Dataset | Percent of ACL | Current Status |
| Yellowtail Snapper | Aug 1-Jul 31 | 26,107 | 22,160 | 13,168 | 61,435 | 1,440,990 | MRFSS | 4% | OPEN |
Species Complex | Season | Apr | May-Jun | Jul-Aug | Sep-Oct | Nov-Dec | Jan-Feb | Mar | Total Reported | Annual Catch Limit (ww) | Dataset | Percent of ACL | Current Status |
| Black Sea Bass | Apr 1 - Mar 31 | 8,185 | 20,255 | 20,974 | 16,260 | 11,220 | 76,894 | 366,510 | CHTS | 21% | OPEN |
Definitions
ww: pounds whole weight; gw: pounds gutted weight; numbers: number of fish
Recreational Dataset: All landings are MRIP, except the following species are MRFSS: Black grouper, Red snapper, Goliath grouper, Nassau grouper, Speckled hind, and Warsaw grouper. The datasets used to monitor the recreational ACLs for some stocks were changed from MRFSS to the MRIP. The dataset to monitor the other stocks will be changed to MRIP in future amendments. Landings include MRIP or MRIP converted to MRFSS and headboat landings.
Notes
(a) There is a seasonal regulation in place; For a list of seasonal closures and harvest limitations, please visit South Atlantic Seasonal Closures and Harvest Limitations
(b) Deepwater Complex: yellowedge grouper, silk snapper, misty grouper, queen snapper, sand tilefish, blackfin snapper
(c) Grunts: White grunt, margate, sailor's choice, tomtate
(d) Jacks: Almaco jack, banded rudderfish, lesser amberjack
(e) Porgies: Jolthead, knobbed, saucereye, whitebone, scup
(f) Shallow Water Grouper: Red hind, rock hind, coney, graysby, yellowfin grouper
(g) Snappers: Gray, lane, cubera
(h) The majority of red grouper landings came north of Key West (Gulf of Mexico region). These Key West red grouper landings were not applied to the South Atlantic ACL.
(i) Amendment 55 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region revised the management of South Atlantic scamp and yellowmouth grouper, by removing yellowmouth grouper from the other South Atlantic shallow water grouper complex and establishing a new scamp and yellowmouth grouper complex. Other actions include establishing a status determination criteria, a rebuilding plan, catch levels, sector allocations, sector management measures, and accountability measures for the new complex, and establishing catch levels for the revised other South Atlantic shallow water grouper complex. Regulations became effective on 7/6/2026.
Source: Southeast Fisheries Science Center, Quota Monitoring Program, Miami, Florida.
For additional information contact Mary Vara at 727-824-5305.
Return to the Southeast Region Annual Catch Limit Monitoring page