Species guide

Goliath Grouper Fishing

Goliath grouper can reach 800 pounds and over 8 feet in length. Harvest was prohibited in 1990, and FWC now awards 200 harvest permits a year by random-draw lottery, each allowing one fish from 24 to 36 inches total length.

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Goliath Grouper

Every charter here names goliath grouper on its own website, checked on the captain's own site

Check before you keep a fish. Seasons and limits change, sometimes in the middle of a season, and a court or an agency can change them overnight. Seasons and limits are set state by state. The ones on this page are Florida's, copied from FWC in Sep 2026 and listed with their source at the foot of the page. We are not a regulatory authority. Confirm the rule for the water you will fish with your captain or with that state's wildlife agency.

Where to fish for goliath grouper

202 charters name goliath grouper on their own website, across 88 towns in 1 state.

State records for goliath grouper

The heaviest goliath grouper each state has certified, biggest first.

StateWeightWhereYearAngler
Florida 680 lb Fernandina Beach 1961 Lynn Joynersource
Texas 551 lb Gulf of Mexico 1937 Gus Pangarakissource
Georgia 124 lb — 1976 James Chumleysource

Each from that state's own records page, linked on every row. A location links to its town only where the agency named that town — a record logged to "Gulf of Mexico" or an offshore block belongs to no city. Weights are printed as the agency prints them. Records are certified by the state and can be broken at any time.

About the fish

SizeUp to 8 feet and 800 pounds
Where it livesCoastal and nearshore waters around natural and man-made structures, or muddy bottoms. Young often in estuaries, especially around mangroves
What it eatsSlow-moving bottom species. Calico crabs make up most of the diet

FWC says their lifespan is thought to be 30 to 50 years.

From FWC's species profile, checked Sep 2026.

Which rules apply to your trip

  • Harvest is prohibited without a permit, and permits are awarded by a random-draw lottery.
  • Applications run October 1 to 15 each year, and the harvest period runs March 1 through May 31. The application costs $10, and a drawn permit and tag cost $150 for verified Florida residents or $500 for non-residents.
  • Even with a permit, harvest is closed from Martin County south through the Atlantic side of the Keys, in the St. Lucie River, in Dry Tortugas National Park and in all federal waters.
  • A permit holder tags the fish on the lower jaw straight away and reports the harvest within 24 hours.

Harvest rules

When can you keep one in Florida?

Open state waters, with a lottery permit

Florida state waters, except the closed area below.

  • Permit and tag holdersOpen March 1 to May 31FWC's limited harvest programme.
  • Everyone elseHarvest closed all yearFWC: harvest is prohibited without a permit.
24 to 36 inches total lengthSize limit
1 fish per person during the open season, with permit and tagDaily limit. 200 permits available each year. Category I permits allow harvest in all open areas including Everglades National Park; Category II permits exclude Everglades National Park.

Closed area

State waters from Martin County south through the Atlantic coast of the Keys, the St. Lucie River and its tributaries, Dry Tortugas National Park, and all federal waters.

  • All anglersHarvest closed all yearFWC.
No harvestSize limit
No harvestDaily limit. Closed even to permit holders.

Gear rules

Hook and line only, with non-offset, non-stainless steel circle hooks when using natural bait, and a dehooking device must be carried and used when releasing any goliath that is not harvested.

Questions about goliath grouper

Can I keep a goliath grouper?

Only with a lottery permit. FWC states harvest is prohibited without one.

How do I get a permit?

Apply between October 1 and 15 through GoOutdoorsFlorida.com. The application costs $10, and a drawn permit costs $150 for residents or $500 for non-residents.

What size can a permit holder keep?

24 to 36 inches total length, one fish, during the March to May season.

Where is harvest closed?

From Martin County south through the Atlantic coast of the Keys, the St. Lucie River, Dry Tortugas National Park and all federal waters.

Seasons, sizes and bag limits on this page were copied from FWC, goliath grouper regulations and FWC, goliath grouper harvest permit and FWC, goliath grouper profile in Sep 2026. Rules change, sometimes mid-season. Check the current rule with your captain or FWC before you keep a fish.