Mangrove Snapper

Mangrove Snapper Fishing in Florida

FWC lists this fish as gray snapper, also known as mangrove snapper, mango or black snapper. It lives in coastal waters near structure such as reefs, mangroves and seagrass, and juveniles may enter fresh water.

Florida rules from FWC, checked Sep 2026

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. Everything here was copied from FWC in Sep 2026 and is listed with its source at the bottom of this page. We are not a regulatory authority. Confirm the current rule with your captain or with FWC before you keep a fish.

Florida state record

  • 17.00 lb Port Canaveral · June 14, 1992 · Steve Maddox

From FWC Florida Saltwater Fishing Records (All-Tackle), checked Sep 2026. Records are certified by FWC and can be broken at any time.

How big mangrove snapper run

Federal interviewers measured 4,832 of them on charter trips between 2022–2024. The middle half ran 9.9–18 inches, with a median of 12 inches. Kept and released in similar numbers: 4,970 landed, 5,655 put back.

NOAA Fisheries MRIP dockside interviews, 2022–2024. A sample of the fish boats brought in, not a total, and not a forecast for any one trip.

About the fish

SizeCommon to 24 inches and 10 pounds
Where it livesReefs, mangroves and seagrass. Juveniles may enter fresh water
What it eatsCrustaceans and small fish

FWC says they spawn June through August, and have two large canine teeth near the front of the upper jaw.

From FWC's species profile, checked Sep 2026.

Which rules apply to your trip

  • Limits are the same on the Gulf and Atlantic coasts: 10 inches total length and 5 per person in state waters, 12 inches and 10 per person in federal waters. Special regulations apply in Biscayne National Park.
  • Either way they count inside Florida's 10-snapper daily aggregate.

Florida state waters: when you can keep one

Gulf and Atlantic state waters.

  • All anglersOpen year roundFWC.
10 inches total lengthSize limit
5 per personDaily limit. Counted inside the 10-snapper aggregate.

Federal waters: when you can keep one

Federal waters off both coasts.

  • All anglersOpen year roundFWC.
12 inches total lengthSize limit
10 per personDaily limit. Counted inside the 10-snapper aggregate.

Questions about mangrove snapper

What size mangrove snapper can I keep?

10 inches total length in state waters, 12 inches in federal waters.

How many can I keep?

Five per person in state waters, 10 in federal waters, both counted inside the 10-snapper aggregate.

What does the aggregate mean?

All the snapper species inside it are added together against a 10-fish daily total per person.

Is there a closed season?

No. FWC lists it as open year round on both coasts.

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