Species guide · Florida
Gray snapper fishing in Florida
Lutjanus griseus, a nearshore species also called mangrove snapper, mango snapper and black snapper. Listed for the South Florida and the Keys, Eastern Gulf and South Atlantic regions. Shoulder season, about 32 more weeks.
Right now it scores best in Pensacola Bay Area including Santa Rosa Sound at 75, one of 31 Florida bay systems where the Waterlands engine is scoring it.
Season now
Shoulder seasonSeason by month
From the Waterlands saltwater species research: when the fish are present and biting, not whether retention is open.
South Florida and the Keys
Shoulder season, about 32 more weeks- Jan: Shoulder season
- Feb: Shoulder season
- Mar: Shoulder season
- Apr: Shoulder season
- May: Peak season
- Jun: Peak season
- Jul: Peak season
- Aug: Peak season
- Sep: Shoulder season
- Oct: Shoulder season
- Nov: Shoulder season
- Dec: Shoulder season
Peak: May to Aug. In season (shoulder or peak): all year.
Research notes, South Florida and the Keys region
Resident in mangroves, bridges, channels and patch reefs year-round, and spawning runs nearly year-round in South Florida (GSMFC). Adults stack on Keys reefs in 20-90 ft to spawn around the summer full moons.
Seasons and limits in these notes are background. The regulations below and the regulator’s own page govern.
Eastern Gulf
Peak season, about 2 more weeks- Jan: Off season
- Feb: Off season
- Mar: Off season
- Apr: Shoulder season
- May: Shoulder season
- Jun: Peak season
- Jul: Peak season
- Aug: Peak season
- Sep: Peak season
- Oct: Shoulder season
- Nov: Shoulder season
- Dec: Off season
Peak: Jun to Sep. In season (shoulder or peak): Apr to Nov.
Research notes, Eastern Gulf region
Docks, bridges and seawalls in Tampa Bay and nearshore ledges off the Big Bend and Panhandle; best June through September. Cold snaps push fish deeper and shut the inshore bite.
Seasons and limits in these notes are background. The regulations below and the regulator’s own page govern.
South Atlantic
Peak season, about 2 more weeks- Jan: Off season
- Feb: Off season
- Mar: Off season
- Apr: Off season
- May: Shoulder season
- Jun: Peak season
- Jul: Peak season
- Aug: Peak season
- Sep: Peak season
- Oct: Shoulder season
- Nov: Off season
- Dec: Off season
Peak: Jun to Sep. In season (shoulder or peak): May to Oct.
Research notes, South Atlantic region
Northeast Florida jetties and nearshore reefs are the core; Georgia and the Carolinas see fewer fish, mostly in summer. Juvenile winter survival limits how far north adults occur (Wuenschel et al. 2012).
Seasons and limits in these notes are background. The regulations below and the regulator’s own page govern.
Where it's scoring now · 31
Florida bay systems ranked by the Waterlands engine's gray snapper score this hour.
Best window today 7 PM-12 AM (75) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 7 AM (79) · 46 named spots
Best window today 8-11 PM (72) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 7 AM (76) · 24 named spots
Best window today 7 PM-12 AM (72) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 5 PM (76) · 23 named spots
Best window today 7 PM-12 AM (71) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 6 AM (78) · 79 named spots
Best window today 8-11 PM (71) · Best day Sat, Sep 19 at 8 PM (73) · 92 named spots
Best window today 8 PM-12 AM (70) · Best day Sat, Sep 19 at 8 PM (77) · 4 named spots
Best window today 8 PM-12 AM (70) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 8 AM (77) · 131 named spots
Best window today 8-10 PM (68) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 9 AM (75) · 39 named spots
Best window today 8 PM-12 AM (67) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 9 AM (78) · 126 named spots
Best window today 8 PM-12 AM (69) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 8 AM (76) · 20 named spots
Best window today 8-11 PM (65) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 8 AM (74) · 81 named spots
Best window today 8 PM-12 AM (65) · Best day Sat, Sep 19 at 8 PM (76) · 88 named spots
Best window today 8 PM-12 AM (71) · Best day Sat, Sep 19 at 6 PM (74) · 13 named spots
Best window today 8 PM-12 AM (65) · Best day Sat, Sep 19 at 8 PM (76) · 21 named spots
Best window today 9 PM-12 AM (72) · Best day Sat, Sep 19 at 8 PM (81) · 22 named spots
Best window today 8 PM-12 AM (64) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 8 AM (73) · 49 named spots
Best window today 10 PM-12 AM (70) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 9 AM (79) · 195 named spots
Best window today 10 PM-12 AM (62) · Best day Fri, Sep 25 at 1 PM (72) · 82 named spots
Best window today 8 PM-12 AM (59) · Best day Thu, Sep 24 at 7 PM (70) · 109 named spots
Best window today 8 PM-12 AM (55) · Best day Fri, Sep 25 at 1 PM (71) · 199 named spots
Best window today 10 PM-12 AM (60) · Best day Tue, Sep 22 at 9 AM (71) · 6 named spots
Best window today 8 PM-12 AM (54) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 7 AM (58) · 11 named spots
Best window today 8 PM-12 AM (55) · Best day Sun, Sep 20 at 8 AM (65)
Best window today 8 PM-12 AM (47) · Best day Mon, Sep 21 at 9 AM (65)
Best window today 8 PM-12 AM (46) · Best day Sun, Sep 20 at 5 PM (60)
Best window today 10 PM-12 AM (57) · Best day Fri, Sep 25 at 1 PM (72) · 16 named spots
Best window today 9 PM-12 AM (50) · Best day Thu, Sep 24 at 12 PM (64)
Best window today 8-11 PM (39) · Best day Tue, Sep 22 at 4 PM (58)
Best window today 8 PM-12 AM (30) · Best day Mon, Sep 21 at 8 AM (60)
Best window today 9 PM-12 AM (37) · Best day Tue, Sep 22 at 8 AM (66)
Best window today 8-11 PM (33) · Best day Sat, Sep 19 at 7 PM (61)
How and where it feeds
- Water temperature
- Feeds from 62°F to 91°F, best between 74°F and 86°F.
- Water depth
- 3 to 180 ft of water.
- Structure
- Mangrove, bridge, reef, jetty, ledge, channel, wreck and pier, in that order of preference.
- Tide and current
- Prefers moving water, with moderate current.Inshore fish feed along mangrove edges, bridge pilings and channel drop-offs while the tide runs, and the bite slows at slack. On offshore reefs a light current carries chum and pulls fish up off the bottom.
- Light
- Bites best around dawn and dusk; feeds at night too.
- Pressure
- Little response to pressure changes.
- Wind and sea limits
- 18 kt of wind and 4 ft of sea. The Waterlands engine scores hours down as conditions pass them.
Tackle and technique
Mangrove snapper hold tight to mangrove roots, bridge pilings, jetties and reef ledges, from a few feet deep inshore to 150 feet offshore. Chum to pull them out of cover, then freeline or lightly weight a live shrimp or pilchard on fluorocarbon leader, since they shy away from heavy line in clear water. The bite improves at dusk and after dark.
- Methods
- bottom fishing, chumming, freelining, light jigging
- Lures
- small bucktail jigs, jig heads tipped with shrimp
- Bait
- live shrimp, pilchards, cut ballyhoo, squid, pinfish, fiddler crabs
Regulations
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Synced with FWC Sep 16, 2026.
No reviewed gray snapper rule for Florida is on file yet. Check with FWC before you keep one.
Other Florida species
- Atlantic croaker
- Atlantic tarpon
- Common snook
- Crevalle jack
- King mackerel
- Red drum
- Southern flounder
- Spot
- Spotted seatrout
- Summer flounder
- Black drum
- Black sea bass
- Bonefish
- Cobia
- Florida pompano
- Gag grouper
- Gray triggerfish
- Greater amberjack
- Little tunny
- Mahi-mahi
- Permit
- Red grouper
- Red snapper
- Sailfish
- Sheepshead
- Spanish mackerel
- Wahoo
- Weakfish
- Yellowfin tuna
- Bluefish
- Striped bass