NOAA Fisheries Announces the 2026 Recreational Fishing Season for Snowy Grouper in the South Atlantic Region Will Close on June 7, 2026

What/When:

• The 2026 recreational fishing season for snowy grouper in federal waters of the South Atlantic started on May 1, 2026, and will end at 12:01 a.m., local time, on June 7, 2026.

• Recreational harvest for the 2027 fishing year in South Atlantic federal waters will open at 12:01 a.m., (local time), on May 1, 2027, unless otherwise specified.

Why This Announcement is Happening:

• Recreational landings in 2025 exceeded the 2025 recreational annual catch limit.
• Regulations implementing Amendment 51 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region require NOAA Fisheries to reduce the 2026 season by the amount necessary to prevent the recreational annual catch limit from being exceeded in 2026.

• NOAA Fisheries estimates that recreational snowy grouper landings will reach the recreational annual catch limit of 1,713 fish for the 2026 fishing year by June 7, 2026.

This bulletin provides only a summary of the existing regulations. Full regulations can be found in the Code of Federal Regulations at 50 CFR part 622 at https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-50/chapter-VI/part-622/subpart-I .

Sign Up for Text Message Alerts - Find Out About Immediate Openings and Closures

NOAA's Text Message Alert Program allows you to receive important fishery-related alerts via text message (SMS). Standard message & data rates may apply. You may opt-out at any time. Comments sent by any other method (such as postal mail), to any other address or individual, or received after the end of the comment period, may not be considered.

Text alerts you may receive include:

• Immediate fishery openings and closures
• Any significant changes to fishing regulations that happen quickly

Sign up for one or more of the following groups:

• Gulf of America (formerly Gulf of Mexico) Recreational Fisheries Related Alerts
  • Text GULFRECFISH to 888777
• Gulf of America (formerly Gulf of Mexico) Commercial Fisheries Related Alerts
  • Text GULFCOMMFISH to 888777
• South Atlantic Recreational Fisheries Related Alerts
  • Text SATLRECFISH to 888777
• South Atlantic Commercial Fisheries Related Alerts
  • Text SATLCOMMFISH to 888777
• Caribbean Fisheries Related Alerts

Quick Glance Contact List for the NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office

Permits Mailbox: The Permits Office in St. Petersburg, Florida, now has a Permits mailbox in the front lobby (263 13th Ave. South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701). You can now drop off original permits for permit transfers. Envelopes with information labels will be provided so that your documents can be attached to the correct application. The mailbox will be checked daily. For more information, contact the Permits Office at 877-376-4877.

Media Contact: Allison Garrett, 727-551-5750

Recreational Fishing Coordinator: Sean Meehan, 727-385-5202