Fishing Regulations and Seasonal Closures - Gulf of Mexico

NOAA Sustainable Fisheries Division Gulf of Mexico Branch, together with the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, manages fisheries in federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Federal waters begin where state waters end and extend 200 miles into the Gulf of Mexico. 

This summary is intended to provide appropriate information to fishermen about fishing regulations in the Gulf of Mexico. This summary is for general information purposes. Fishery Regulations are subject to changes. Any discrepancies between this information and the regulations as published in the Federal Register will be resolved in favor of the Federal Register. For more information on fishery regulations consult the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 50 CFR 622.

Federal Fishing Regs, Seasons, and Closures

NOTE:  Fishing for certain species may be closed outside of the seasonal closure if an inseason closure has occurred. Please check our fishery bulletin page.  Also, check out our Reef Fish Closure Projections Page for more information on how we determined the closure date for recreational reef fish closures.

NOTE: States may regulate vessels registered in that state and fishing in federal waters for species that do not have applicable federal regulations, or for which management has been delegated to the state. 

NOTE: Federally permitted for-hire reef fish vessels must comply with the more restrictive of federal or state reef fish regulations when fishing for reef fish in state waters. 

Fishing Regulations(1)	Commercial  Seasonal Closure	Recreational Seasonal Closure
Cobia	None	None
Cobia - East Coast Florida Zone	None	None
Cubera Snapper	None	None
Deep water grouper - Warsaw, Snowy, Speckled hind, Yellowedge	None Currently managed under an Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) program. Anyone commercially fishing for this species must possess IFQ allocation and follow established protocols, see Current IFQ landings.	None
Gag	None  Currently managed under an Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) program. Anyone commercially fishing for this species must possess IFQ allocation and follow established protocols, see Current IFQ landings.	Jan 1 - August 31  The  2024 Season will open September 1 and close at 12:01 am on September 16.
Gray Snapper	None	None
Greater Amberjack	Mar 1-May 31	June 1 - July 31 November 1 - April 30
Image Goliath Grouper	HARVEST PROHIBITED
Gray Triggerfish	June 1 - July 31	January 1 - end of February June 1-July 31
Hogfish	None	None
Jacks Complex - Almaco jack, banded rudderfish, lesser amberjack	None	None
King Mackerel	Western Zone None Northern Zone None Southern Zone Gillnet July 1 - MLK Jr. Day Southern Zone Hook & Line None	None
Lane Snapper	None	None
Mid-water snapper - Silk, wenchman, blackfin, queen snapper	None	None
Mutton Snapper	None	None
Nassau Grouper	HARVEST PROHIBITED
Red Grouper	None Currently managed under an Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) program. Anyone commercially fishing for this species must possess IFQ allocation and follow established protocols, see Current IFQ landings.	Feb 1-Mar 31 (2)
Red Snapper	None Currently managed under an Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) program. Anyone commercially fishing for this species must possess IFQ allocation and follow established protocols, see Current IFQ landings.	For-Hire Jan 1  - May 31   Private Under state management through Reef Fish Amendment 50 see Fishery Bulletin FB20-006
Shallow-water grouper (other): Black Grouper, Yellowmouth Grouper, Scamp, and Yellowfin Grouper	None Currently managed under an Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) program. Anyone commercially fishing for this species must possess IFQ allocation and follow established protocols, see Current IFQ landings.	Feb 1-Mar 31 (2)
Spanish Mackerel	None	None
Spiny Lobster	See State of Florida	See State of Florida
Tilefish - golden, goldface, and blueline	None Currently managed under an Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) program. Anyone commercially fishing for this species must possess IFQ allocation and follow established protocols, see Current IFQ landings.	None
Vermilion Snapper	None	None
Yellowtail Snapper	None	None

(1) This list will redirect to the Fish Rules app, web-based version.

(2) This closure occurs in the portion of the Gulf EEZ seaward of coordinates defined in the Federal regulations at paragraph (d) of § 622.34, Seasonal and area closures designed to protect Gulf reef fish.  These coordinates approximate the 20-fathom depth contour.

NOTES

Recreational Information

• Allowable Gear 
• For-Hire Fishing Permits in the Gulf of Mexico
• All Recreational Anglers need a saltwater recreational fishing license or registration from a state or U.S. territory except Hawaii, Puerto Rico, or the U.S. Virgin Islands. Visit the National Saltwater Angler Registry to ensure you are registered. If you plan on fishing for highly migratory species—such as tunas and billfish, you will need to obtain an Atlantic highly migratory species permit.

Commercial Information

• Allowable Gear
• Commercial Fishing Permits in the Gulf of Mexico

State Waters

• Federally permitted for-hire reef fish vessels must comply with the more restrictive of federal or state reef fish regulations when fishing for reef fish in state waters. 
• Alabama
• Florida
•  Louisiana
• Mississippi
• Texas

More Information

• Gulf of Mexico Branch Homepage
• Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council
• Southeast Region Annual Catch Limit Monitoring
• FISHERY BULLETINS: View or Sign up to stay up-to-date with fishery announcements
• Fish Rules App