CONTACT US: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Fish and Wildlife Research Institute 100 Eighth Avenue SE St. Petersburg, Florida 33701 727-896-8626 http://MyFWC.com/ BoatingGuides Boating_Guides@ MyFWC.com City of Jacksonville Parks and Recreation 214 N. Hogan Street Third Floor Jacksonville, Florida 32202 904-630-2489 http://JaxParks.com jaxparks@coj.net This project was funded in part by a grant awarded by the Jacksonville Environmental Protection Board and Jacksonville Port Authority (Jaxport). Additional funding for this project was obtained through the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Fund.

Fish images, except striped bass, © Diane Rome Peebles. Striped bass image © Duane Raver, Jr. Illustrations provided for viewing purposes only. Below are fishing regulations for many of the popular sport fish caught in the Nassau and Duval county waters. These regulations are current as of May 23, 2014. A summary of recreational fishing regulations for Florida waters can be found by visiting FWC's Division of Marine Fisheries Management saltwater fishing regulations Web page. A summary of fishing regulations for federal waters can be found by visiting South Atlantic Fisheries Management council. Be sure to check these sites for the most current regulations. Fish Measurement: Many of the fish caught in the waters around Nassau and Duval counties have a minimum length required before they can be kept; some have a maximum length, too. Fish size limit regulations use either fork length or length. Not sure how to measure a fish's length? View Saltwater Fish Measurement Guidelines, developed by the FWC's Division of Marine Fisheries Management. BASS, STRIPED Maximum size limit (total length): None Closed season: None Daily recreation bag limit: 20 per harvester per day (combines striped, sunshine, and white bass), 6 may be 24" or larger. Remarks: None BLUEFISH Minimum size limit (fork): 12" Closed season: None Daily recreation bag limit: 10 per harvester per day Remarks: Fish must remain in whole condition until landed ashore (heads, fins, and tails intact). BLACK DRUM Minimum size limit (total length):14" Maximum size limit (total length): 24" Closed season: None Daily recreation bag limit: 5 per harvester per day Remarks: May possess one over 24". Snatching prohibited. Fish must remain in whole condition until landed ashore (heads, fins, and tails intact). Harvest prohibited by or with the use of any multiple hook in conjunction with live or dead bait. State regulations apply in federal waters. COBIA (Ling) Minimum size limit (fork): 33" Closed season: None Daily recreation bag limit: 1 per harvester or 6 per vessel per day whichever is less Remarks: Fish must remain in whole condition until landed ashore (heads, fins, and tails intact). DOLPHIN (Mahi-mahi, Dorado) Minimum size limit (fork): 20" Closed season: None Daily recreation bag limit: 10 per harvester per day, not to exceed 60 per vessel per day. Remarks: Fish must remain in whole condition until landed ashore (heads, fins, and tails intact). FLOUNDER, SOUTHERN Minimum size limit (total length): 12" Closed season: None Daily recreation bag limit: 10 per harvester per day Remarks: May be harvested by spearing. Snatching prohibited. Harvest prohibited by or with the use of any multiple hook in conjunction with live or dead bait. Fish must remain in whole condition until landed ashore (heads, fins, and tails intact). GROUPER, BLACK Minimum size limit (total length): 24" Closed season: Jan. 1 to Apr. 30 Daily recreation bag limit: 1 per harvester per day. Included with 3 per harvester per day grouper aggregate bag limit. No more than one fish may be Black Grouper or Gag. Remarks: Fish must remain in whole condition until landed ashore (heads, fins, and tails intact). Additional gear rules apply. Zero daily bag and possession limit for captain and crew on for-hire vessels. For more information about grouper regulations, visit FWC Grouper Fishery Information, Atlantic Ocean. GROUPER, GAG Minimum size limit (total length): 24" Closed season: Jan. 1 to Apr. 30. Daily recreation bag limit: 1 per harvester per day. Included with 3 per harvester per day grouper aggregate bag limit. No more than one fish may be Black Grouper or Gag. Remarks: Fish must remain in whole condition until landed ashore (heads, fins, and tails intact). Additional gear rules apply. Zero daily bag and possession limit for captain and crew on for-hire vessels. For more information about grouper regulations, visit FWC Grouper Fishery Information, Atlantic Ocean. Back to Top GROUPER, RED Minimum size limit (total length): 20" Closed season: Jan. 1 to Apr. 30. Daily recreation bag limit: 3 per harvester per day. Included with 3 per harvester per day grouper aggregate bag limit. Remarks: Fish must remain in whole condition until landed ashore (heads, fins, and tails intact). Additional gear rules apply. Zero daily bag and possession limit for captain and crew on for-hire vessels. For more information about grouper regulations, visit FWC Grouper Fishery Information, Atlantic Ocean. SOUTHERN KINGFISH (Whiting) Remarks: This species is not regulated in Florida state waters. Anglers can catch up to 100 pounds with a recreational fishing license. MACKEREL, KING (Kingfish) Minimum size limit (fork): 24" Closed season: None Daily recreation bag limit: 2 per harvester per day Remarks: Fish must remain in whole condition until landed ashore (heads, fins, and tails intact). Bag limit in some state waters reduced to 1 when federal waters are closed to all harvest. Visit FWC Marine Fisheries for most current regulations prior to fishing. MACKEREL, SPANISH Minimum size limit (fork): 12" Closed season: None Daily recreation bag limit: 15 per harvester per day Remarks: Fish must remain in whole condition until landed ashore (heads, fins, and tails intact). Transfer of Spanish mackerel to other vessels at sea is prohibited. POMPANO, FLORIDA Minimum size limit (fork length): 11" Closed season: None Daily recreation bag limit: 6 per harvester per day. Remarks: Fish must remain in whole condition until landed ashore (heads, fins, and tails intact). State regulations apply in federal waters. Hook and line, cast net, and beach or haul seine ONLY. Harvest prohibited by or with the use of any multiple hook in conjunction with live or dead bait. RED DRUM (Redfish) Minimum size limit (total length): 18" Maximum size limit (total length): 27" Closed season: None Daily recreation bag limit: 2 per harvester per day Remarks: Gigging, spearing, snatching prohibited. Harvest in federal waters (greater than three nautical miles) also prohibited. Fish must remain in whole condition until landed ashore (heads, fins, and tails intact). Harvest prohibited by or with the use of any multiple hook in conjunction with live or dead bait. SHEEPSHEAD Minimum size limit (total length): 12" Closed season: None Daily recreation bag limit: 15 per harvester per day Remarks: Snatching prohibited. Fish must remain in whole condition until landed ashore (heads, fins, and tails intact). Harvest prohibited by or with the use of any multiple hook in conjunction with live or dead bait. Back to Top SNAPPER, GRAY (Mangrove) Minimum size limit (total length): 10" Closed season: None Daily recreation bag limit: 5 per harvester per day Remarks: Included within 10 per harvester per day snapper aggregate bag limit. Fish must remain in whole condition until landed ashore (heads, fins, and tails intact). Additional gear rules apply. SNAPPER, RED Minimum size limit (total length): 20" Closed season: None Daily recreation bag limit: 2 per harvester per day Remarks: Included within 10 per harvester per day snapper aggregate bag limit. Fish must remain in whole condition until landed ashore (heads, fins, and tails intact). Additional gear rules apply. Visit FWC Marine Fisheries for most current regulations prior to fishing. SNOOK Minimum size limit (total length): 28" Maximum size limit: 32" Closed season: Dec. 15 to Jan. 31, June 1 to Aug. 31 Daily recreation bag limit: 1 per harvester per day Remarks: Snook permit required when saltwater license required. State regulations apply in federal waters. Illegal to buy or sell snook. Fish must remain in whole condition until landed ashore (heads, fins, and tails intact). Snatch hooks and spearing prohibited. Harvest prohibited by or with the use of any multiple hook in conjunction with live or dead bait. SPOTTED SEATROUT (Speckled Seatrout) Minimum size limit (total length): 15" Maximum size limit (total length): 20" (one fish may be greater than 20") Closed season: None Daily recreation bag limit: 6 per harvester per day Remarks: Fish must remain in whole condition until landed ashore (heads, fins, and tails intact). Harvest prohibited by or with the use of any multiple hook in conjunction with live or dead bait. State regulations apply in federal waters. STONE CRAB Minimum size limit: 2 3/4" claw Closed season: May 16 to Oct. 14 Daily recreation bag limit: 1 gallon claws per harvester or 2 gallons per vessel, whichever is less. Remarks: 5 traps maximum. Trap requirements apply. Illegal to possess whole crab. Harvest of egg-bearing crabs prohibited. Best practice is to harvest only one claw per crab. TARPON Minimum size limit: None Closed season: None Daily recreation bag limit: 1 per harvester per year. $50 harvest tag is required. Vessel limit is 1 fish. Harvest tag can only be used when fish is retained for IGFA record Remarks: Tarpon over 40 inches in length must remain in the water during release. Spearing and snatch hooking is prohibited. Weakfish Minimum size limit (total length): 12" in Weakfish Management Area. None in other areas. Closed season: None Daily recreation bag limit: 1 per harvester per day inside Weakfish Management Area. Outside of Weakfish Management Area, there are no size limits and each person may harvest up to 100 pounds per day. This also includes sand seatrout and weakfish-sand seatrout hybrids. Remarks: Fish must remain in whole condition until landed ashore (heads, fins, and tails intact). Back to Top If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions about this Web site, please e-mail us at Boating_Guides@MyFWC.com. Would you like to receive notices of changes to this Web site and the Boating and Angling Guide to Nassau and Duval Counties? If so, please e-mail us and include SUBSCRIBE-DUVAL in the subject line.