Yellowtail Snapper

Yellowtail Snapper Fishing in Florida

Yellowtail snapper live in coastal waters, mainly near coral reefs. Florida sets a 12-inch total length minimum and a limit of up to 10 per person within the 10-snapper aggregate bag limit.

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

  • 10.19 lb Ft. Myers · January 30, 2015 · Jeff Bowles

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 yellowtail snapper run

Federal interviewers measured 3,175 of them on charter trips between 2022–2024. The middle half ran 10.1–14.6 inches, with a median of 11.6 inches. Most were kept: 3,937 landed against 2,375 released.

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

SizeUp to 30 inches and 5 pounds
Where it livesCoastal waters, mainly near coral reefs
What it eatsFishes and invertebrates

FWC says yellowtail snapper spawn in mid-summer.

From FWC's species profile, checked Sep 2026.

Which rules apply to your trip

  • Yellowtail count toward Florida's 10-snapper daily aggregate bag limit. Not every snapper counts toward it; vermilion snapper, for example, are not included.
  • FWC notes that special regulations apply to yellowtail snapper when fishing in Biscayne National Park.

Yellowtail snapper, Florida waters: when you can keep one

Gulf and Atlantic state waters.

  • All anglersOpen year roundFWC.
12 inches total lengthSize limit
Up to 10 per personDaily limit. Inside the 10-snapper daily aggregate.

Questions about yellowtail snapper

How big does a yellowtail snapper have to be?

12 inches total length.

How many can I keep?

Up to 10 per person, inside the 10-snapper daily limit.

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