Species guide · Florida
Red snapper fishing in Florida
Lutjanus campechanus, an offshore species also called American red snapper, sow snapper and chicken snapper. Listed for the Eastern Gulf and South Atlantic regions. Shoulder season, about 32 more weeks.
Right now it scores best in Coastal Waters from Mexico Beach to Apalachicola out 20 NM at 59, one of 17 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.
Eastern Gulf
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, Eastern Gulf region
Year-round on Panhandle and Alabama artificial reefs and natural ledges. Telemetry shows fish higher off the bottom in summer and hugging it in winter. Regulatory: Alabama, Mississippi and Florida set private-angler seasons, mostly in summer.
Seasons and limits in these notes are background. The regulations below and the regulator’s own page govern.
South Atlantic
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 Atlantic region
Common on ledges and live bottom from Northeast Florida to the Carolinas. Regulatory: the recreational harvest season has been a few days in July (July 11-12 in 2025); release fish with a descending device the rest of the year.
Seasons and limits in these notes are background. The regulations below and the regulator’s own page govern.
Where it's scoring now · 17
Florida bay systems ranked by the Waterlands engine's red snapper score this hour.
Best window today 8-11 PM (59) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 6 PM (62) · 24 named spots
Best window today 7 PM-12 AM (59) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 5 PM (62) · 79 named spots
Best window today 8-11 PM (59) · Best day Sat, Sep 19 at 8 PM (61) · 92 named spots
Best window today 7 PM-12 AM (59) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 5 PM (61) · 23 named spots
Best window today 8 PM-12 AM (58) · Best day Sat, Sep 19 at 8 PM (62) · 4 named spots
Best window today 7 PM-12 AM (58) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 5 PM (61) · 46 named spots
Best window today 8 PM-12 AM (57) · Best day Wed, Sep 16 at 6 PM (62) · 39 named spots
Best window today 8 PM-12 AM (57) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 7 AM (62) · 131 named spots
Best window today 8 PM-12 AM (55) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 7 AM (60) · 126 named spots
Best window today 8-11 PM (54) · Best day Wed, Sep 23 at 11 AM (60) · 20 named spots
Best window today 8 PM-12 AM (54) · Best day Sat, Sep 19 at 8 PM (61) · 88 named spots
Best window today 8-11 PM (53) · Best day Fri, Sep 25 at 9 AM (60) · 81 named spots
Best window today 8 PM-12 AM (54) · Best day Sat, Sep 19 at 8 PM (60) · 21 named spots
Best window today 8 PM-12 AM (52) · Best day Sun, Sep 20 at 9 PM (59) · 49 named spots
Best window today 8 PM-12 AM (55) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 7 AM (61) · 195 named spots
Best window today 8 PM-12 AM (56) · Best day Sun, Sep 20 at 7 PM (59) · 13 named spots
Best window today 9 PM-12 AM (57) · Best day Sat, Sep 19 at 7 PM (64) · 22 named spots
How and where it feeds
- Water temperature
- Feeds from 58°F to 86°F, best between 64°F and 80°F.
- Water depth
- 40 to 350 ft of water.
- Structure
- Reef, wreck, ledge, bank and pinnacle, in that order of preference.
- Tide and current
- Prefers moving water, with light current.Tide stage matters little offshore. Light current carries chum to the fish and lets baits hold near the structure; strong current makes it hard to stay on a small reef or wreck.
- Light
- Some lift around dawn and dusk; feeds at night too.
- Pressure
- Little response to pressure changes.
- Wind and sea limits
- 20 kt of wind and 5 ft of sea. The Waterlands engine scores hours down as conditions pass them.
Tackle and technique
Red snapper school over rigs, wrecks, artificial reefs and natural ledges, mostly in 60 to 250 feet. Anchor or drift over the structure, chum, and drop cut or live cigar minnows, sardines or squid on circle hooks, using as little weight as the current allows. Federal rules require circle hooks with natural bait in the Gulf and a descending device or venting tool on board.
- Methods
- bottom fishing, chumming, drifting, vertical jigging
- Lures
- butterfly jigs, bucktail jigs tipped with squid, flat-fall jigs
- Bait
- cigar minnows, Spanish sardines, squid, cut menhaden, live pinfish
Regulations
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Synced with FWC Sep 16, 2026.
Check regulations No reviewed red snapper rule on file in Atlantic and Monroe County (Atlantic side). Check with FWC.
Other Florida species
- Atlantic croaker
- Atlantic tarpon
- Common snook
- Crevalle jack
- Gray snapper
- 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
- Sailfish
- Sheepshead
- Spanish mackerel
- Wahoo
- Weakfish
- Yellowfin tuna
- Bluefish
- Striped bass