A Boating and Angling Guide to Charlotte Harbor A Boating and Angling Guide to Charlotte Harbor
Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Logo Sport Fish Restoration Logo Charlotte County Logo West Coast Inland Navigation District Logo
Florida Sea Grant Logo UF IFAS Logo
About This Guide
Boating
Fishing
Catch and Release Information
Popular Sport Fish
Fishing Regulations
Fishing Piers
Artificial Reefs
Maps
Natural Resources
Managed Areas
Resource Directory
Back to Series Home
CONTACT US:
Florida Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Commission

Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Commission
100 Eighth Avenue SE
St. Petersburg, Florida 33701
727-896-8626
http://MyFWC.com/
BoatingGuides
Boating_Guides@
MyFWC.com


Charlotte County
UF/IFAS Extension
Florida Sea Grant

25550 Harbor View Rd #3
Port Charlotte, Florida 33980
941-764-4340
http://charlotte.ifas.ufl.edu/
seagrant
info@flseagrant.org


Funding for this project was obtained through grants from the West Coast Inland Navigation District and Charlotte County.


Additional funding for this project was obtained through the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Fund.
Fishing Regulations Banner
Fish images © Diane Rome Peebles. Illustration provided for viewing purposes only.

Below are fishing regulations for many of the popular sport fish caught in the Charlotte Harbor area. In the case where regulations are different for Florida's Atlantic and Gulf coasts (e.g. snook), only the regulations for the Gulf Coast are shown. These regulations are current as of January 30, 2015.

A summary of recreational fishing regulations for Florida waters can be found by visiting FWC's Division of Marine Fisheries Management salwater regulations Web page. A summary of fishing regulations for federal waters can be found on NOAA's Fisheries Service, Southeast Regional Office, Web site.

Be sure to check these sites for the the most current regulations.

Fish Identification: Identifying sport fish that look similar may be difficult for some anglers. Because the regulations may be different for each species, the sheets below were developed and contain simple tips that will help anglers identify similar species. These sheets can be printed using a desktop printer and taken out on the next fishing trip.
Know Your Florida Fish: Greater Amberjack and Banded Rudderfish (PDF, 1.07 MB)
Know Your Florida Fish: Black Grouper, Gag, and Red Grouper (PDF, 1.1 MB)
Know Your Florida Fish: King Mackerel and Spanish Mackerel (PDF, 813 KB)
Know Your Florida Fish: Florida Pompano and Permit (PDF, 1.04 MB)

Fish Measurement: Many of the fish caught in Charlotte Harbor have a minimum length required before they can be kept; some have a maximum length, too. Fish 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.

Harvester: Regardless of what species you are fishing for, bag limits are only for properly licensed individuals and those people exempt from licensing requirements who are actively harvesting. People harvesting may not exceed the individual bag limit and take someone else's bag limit. That is, people (including children) who are not actively harvesting or are not properly licensed (if license is required) may NOT be counted for the purpose of bag limits.

Greater Amberjack AMBERJACK, GREATER
Minimum size limit: 30" fork
Closed season: June 1 to July 31
Daily recreation bag limit: 1 per harvester per day
Remarks: Must remain in whole condition until landed ashore (heads, fins, and tails intact). Additional gear rules apply.

Lesser Amberjack AMBERJACK, LESSER and BANDED RUDDERFISH
Minimum size limit: 14" fork
Maximum size limit: 22" fork
Closed season: None
Daily recreation bag limit: 5 aggregate of lesser amberjack and banded rudderfish
Remarks: Must remain in whole condition until landed ashore (heads, fins, and tails intact). Additional gear rules apply.

Black Drum BLACK DRUM
Minimum size limit:14" total length
Maximum size limit: 24"
Closed season: None
Daily recreation bag limit: 5 per harvester per day
Remarks: May possess one over 24". Snatching prohibited. Must remain in whole condition until landed ashore (heads, fins, and tails intact). State regulations apply in federal waters. Harvest prohibited by or with the use of any multiple hook in conjunction with live or dead bait.

Cobia COBIA (Ling)
Minimum size limit: 33" fork
Closed season: None
Daily recreation bag limit: 1 per harvester or 6 per vessel per day whichever is less
Remarks: To sell or exceed the daily bag limit, follow commercial regulations. Must remain in whole condition until landed ashore (heads, fins, and tails intact).

Gulf Flounder FLOUNDER
Minimum size limit: 12" total length
Closed season: None
Daily recreation bag limit: 10 per harvester per day
Remarks: May be harvested by spearing. Snatching prohibited. 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.

Black Grouper GROUPER, BLACK
Minimum size limit: 22" total length
Closed season: None
Daily recreation bag limit: 4 per harvester per day. Included with 4 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.

Gag Grouper GAG (Gag Grouper)
Minimum size limit: 22" total length
Closed season: Dec. 4 to June 30
Daily recreation bag limit: 2 per harvester per day. Included with 4 per harvester per day grouper aggregate bag limit. No more than 1 fish may be Gag or Black Grouper, either individually or in combination.
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.

Goliath Grouper GROUPER, GOLIATH
Remarks: It is illegal to harvest, land, puchase, sell or exchange goliath grouper. For inormation about goliath grouper, including catch-and-release guidelines, visit FWC's goliath grouper Web page

Red Grouper GROUPER, RED
Minimum size limit: 20" total length
Closed season: None
Daily recreation bag limit: 4 per harvester per day. Included with a 4 per harvester per day grouper aggregate bag limit.
Remarks: Zero daily bag and possession limit for captain and crew on for-hire vessels. Fish must remain in whole condition until landed ashore (heads, fins, and tails intact). Additional gear rules apply. For more information about grouper regulations, visit FWC Grouper Fishery Information.

Back to Top
Hogfish HOGFISH
Minimum size limit: 12" fork
Closed season: None
Daily recreation bag limit: 5 per harvester per day
Remarks: Fish must remain in whole condition until landed ashore (heads, fins, and tails intact). Additional gear rules apply.

King Mackerel MACKEREL, KING (Kingfish)
Minimum size limit: 24" fork
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 Gulf-Atlantic fishery reduced to 1 when federal waters are closed to all harvest. Visit FWC's Saltwater Regulations or call FWC Southwest Regional Office for details.

Spanish Mackerel MACKEREL, SPANISH
Minimum size limit: 12" fork
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.

Permit PERMIT
Minimum size limit: 11" fork
Maximum size limit: 22" fork
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). May possess 1 over 22" fork length included in the per person bag limit. Vessel restriction of no more than 2 permit over 22" fork length. Hook and line only in state waters. Hook and line and spearing allowed in federal waters. Harvest prohibited by or with the use of any multiple hook in conjunction with live or dead bait. State regulations apply in federal waters.

Pompano FLORIDA POMPANO
Minimum size limit: 11" fork
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 by 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. State regulations apply in federal waters.

Red Drum (Redfish) RED DRUM (Redfish)
Minimum size limit: 18" total length
Maximum size limit: 27" total length
Closed season: None
Daily recreation bag limit: 1 per harvester per day
Remarks: Gigging, spearing, snatching prohibited. Harvest in federal waters 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 SHEEPSHEAD
Minimum size limit: 12" total length
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
Gray (Mangrove) Snapper SNAPPER, GRAY (Mangrove)
Minimum size limit: 10" total length
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.

Red Snapper SNAPPER, RED
Minimum size limit: 16" total length
Closed season: Please cheeck MyFWC.com for Gulf open season dates.
Daily recreation bag limit: 2 per harvester per day
Remarks: Included within 10 per harvester per day snapper aggregate bag limit. Zero daily bag and posession limit for captain and crew of for-hire vessels.
For more information about snapper regulations, please visit FWC Snapper Fishery Information. Fish must remain in whole condition until landed ashore (heads, fins, and tails intact). Additional gear rules apply.

Common Snook SNOOK
Minimum size limit: 28" total length
Maximum size limit: 33" total length
Closed season: May 1 to Aug. 31, Dec. 1 to Feb. 28/29
Daily recreation bag limit: 1 per harvester per day
Remarks: Snook permit required for harvest when saltwater license required. State regulations apply in federal waters. Illegal to buy or sell snook. Snatch hooks and spearing 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.

Spotted Seatrout SPOTTED SEATROUT (Speckled Seatrout)
Minimum size limit: 15" total length
Maximum size limit: 20" total length (one fish may be greater than 20")
Closed season: None
Daily recreation bag limit: 4 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.

Tarpon TARPON
Minimum size limit: None
Closed season: None
Daily recreation bag limit: 1 per harvester per year. Requires $50 tarpon tag to possess or harvest. Harvest tag can only be used when is retained for potential IGFA record. Vessel limit of one fish.
Remarks: Fish over 40 inches must remain in warer during the release. Snatching and spearing prohibited. Please visit MyFWC.com for more information about fishing regulations in Boca Grande Pass.

Tripletail TRIPLETAIL
Minimum size limit: 15" total length
Closed season: None
Daily recreation bag limit: 2 per harvester per day
Remarks: Hook and line gear only. No snatch hooks. 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

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 Charlotte Harbor? If so, please e-mail us and include SUBSCRIBE-CHARLOTTE in the subject line.