Species guide

Grouper Fishing

Gag and red grouper are the most widely distributed of the Florida groupers.

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Grouper

Every charter here names 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 and NOAA Fisheries 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 grouper

1000 charters name grouper on their own website, across 227 towns in 2 states.

State records for grouper

The heaviest grouper each state has certified, biggest first.

StateWeightWhereYearAngler
Texas 30 lb Gulf of Mexico 2016 Vicky Scottsource
Louisiana 17 lb Gulf of Mexico 2014 Anna Griffithsource

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.

Grouper species, one page each

Each has its own size, limit and permit rules.

About the fish

SizeGag to 36 in, red to 42 in, black to 48 in and 180 lb
Where it livesGag and adult black grouper: rocky bottoms, reefs and drop-off walls in water over 60 feet deep
What it eatsFish and invertebrates

FWC says red grouper spawn in April and May and prefer water between 66 and 77 degrees.

From FWC's species profile, checked Sep 2026.

Which rules apply to your trip

  • Gulf or Atlantic is the first question, and Monroe County is the trap: all state waters off Monroe County follow the ATLANTIC rules, on both the Atlantic and the Gulf side.
  • A charter holding a federal Gulf reef fish permit follows the federal gag season even inside state waters.
  • Charter captain and crew may not keep gag in the Gulf, or black or red grouper in Gulf state waters; in the Atlantic, for-hire captain and crew may not keep gag or black grouper.
  • FWC says participation in the State Reef Fish Survey is mandatory to fish for grouper in Florida waters.
  • During a closure the bag and possession limits are zero, so no fish may be kept.
  • Ask whether the boat holds a federal Gulf reef fish charter/headboat permit: during the Gulf gag closure, the ban on possessing gag applies to that boat even in state waters.

Harvest rules

When can you keep one in Florida?

Seasons and limits are set state by state, and these are Florida's. Grouper is caught by charters in 2 states on this page; ask your captain which rules apply where you are fishing.

Gulf: gag

Gulf state and federal waters, excluding all state waters of Monroe County.

  • All anglersOpen September 1 to 30, 2026FWC set Gulf state waters to match the federal season. Harvest closes October 1 for the rest of the year.
  • Charter with a federal Gulf reef fish permitFrom October 1: no possession of gag, in Gulf state waters tooNOAA: the possession ban also applies in Gulf state waters for a federally permitted for-hire vessel.
24 inches total lengthSize limit
2 per personDaily limit. Counts inside the Gulf limit of 4 grouper per person per day. Charter captain and crew: 0 fish.

Gulf: red

Gulf state and federal waters, excluding all state waters of Monroe County.

  • State watersOpen year roundFWC.
  • Federal waters seaward of 20 fathomsHarvest closed February 1 to March 31Applies to red, black, scamp, yellowfin and yellowmouth.
20 inches total lengthSize limit
2 per personDaily limit. Counts inside the Gulf limit of 4 grouper per person per day.

Gulf: black

Gulf state and federal waters, excluding all state waters of Monroe County.

  • State watersOpen year roundFWC.
  • Federal waters seaward of 20 fathomsHarvest closed February 1 to March 31Applies to red, black, scamp, yellowfin and yellowmouth.
24 inches total lengthSize limit
4 per personDaily limit. Counts inside the Gulf limit of 4 grouper per person per day.

Atlantic: gag

Atlantic state and federal waters, including all state waters off Monroe County.

  • All anglersOpen May 1 to August 1, 2026. Harvest closed now.FWC closed recreational harvest in Atlantic state waters starting August 2. NOAA says federal South Atlantic waters reopen at 12:01 a.m. on May 1, 2027, unless otherwise specified.
24 inches total lengthSize limit
1 gag or black per personDaily limit. Counts inside the Atlantic limit of 3 grouper or tilefish per person per day. Vessel limit: 2 gag per vessel per day, not to exceed the daily bag limit, whichever is more restrictive. For-hire captain and crew may not keep one.

Atlantic: black

Atlantic state and federal waters, including Monroe County state waters.

  • All anglersOpen May 1 to December 31FWC. Also closed January 1 to April 30 along with several other Atlantic grouper.
24 inches total lengthSize limit
1 gag or black per personDaily limit. Counts inside the Atlantic 3 grouper aggregate. Vessel limit: 2 black per vessel per day, not to exceed the daily bag limit, whichever is more restrictive. For-hire captain and crew may not keep one. Special regulations apply in Biscayne National Park.

Atlantic: red

Atlantic state and federal waters, including Monroe County state waters.

  • All anglersOpen May 1 to December 31FWC. Also closed January 1 to April 30 along with several other Atlantic grouper.
20 inches total lengthSize limit
Up to 3 per personDaily limit. Counts inside the Atlantic limit of 3 grouper or tilefish per person per day.

Gear rules

Reef fish gear rules apply and grouper must be landed with head and fins intact. In Gulf state waters that means non-stainless, non-offset circle hooks with natural bait, a dehooking device, and a descending device or venting tool rigged and ready. In the Atlantic the circle hook rule splits at 28 degrees north.

Questions about grouper

Can I keep a gag grouper right now?

In the Gulf, excluding Monroe County state waters, yes: the 2026 season runs September 1 to 30 and harvest closes October 1 for the rest of the year. In the Atlantic, including all Monroe County state waters, no: harvest closed August 2.

How many grouper can I keep in a day?

In the Gulf, no more than 4 grouper per person in total, with gag and red capped at 2 each. In the Atlantic, no more than 3 grouper or tilefish per person, with only 1 gag or black inside that.

What sizes apply?

FWC sets 24 inches total length for gag and black, and 20 inches for red, on both coasts.

Do I need anything to fish for grouper?

FWC says participation in the State Reef Fish Survey is mandatory to fish for grouper in Florida waters, and reef fish gear requirements apply.

Seasons, sizes and bag limits on this page were copied from FWC, grouper regulations and FWC, reef fish gear rules and NOAA Fisheries, 2026 Gulf gag season and NOAA Fisheries, 2026 South Atlantic gag season and FWC, gag grouper profile and FWC, red grouper profile and FWC, black grouper profile in Sep 2026. Rules change, sometimes mid-season. Check the current rule with your captain or FWC before you keep a fish.