Alabama's red snapper season will kick off on Friday, May 23, with expanded opportunities for private and state-licensed charter vessel anglers.
The Alabama Department of Conservation and …
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Alabama's red snapper season will kick off on Friday, May 23, with expanded opportunities for private and state-licensed charter vessel anglers.
The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources' (ADCNR) Marine Resources Division (MRD) announced the new format, which includes seven-day-a-week access through the end of June, followed by four-day weekends starting on July 4 until the state's quota is met.
For the first time since 2017, red snapper fishing will be open daily from May 23 through 11:59 p.m. on Monday, June 30. Beginning on July 4, the season will shift to weekends only, running from Fridays at 12:01 a.m. to Mondays at 11:59 p.m., until the quota is reached.
The Alabama private angler quota for 2025 is set by NOAA Fisheries at 664,552 pounds. Chris Blankenship, ADCNR commissioner, said the change comes in response to public feedback.
"Under state management we have the ability to adapt our red snapper season to meet the needs of anglers that fish in Alabama," Blankenship said in a news release. "For 2025, we are opening the season for the entire month of June to give our private anglers and state-licensed charter boats better opportunities during the peak of the season. We anticipate a great red snapper season this year that will provide anglers with more opportunities to catch red snapper through early summer and hopefully into the fall."
The season dates apply to anglers fishing from shore, private recreational vessels and state-licensed Alabama commercial party boats without federal for-hire fishing permits. Season dates for federally permitted for-hire vessels will be announced separately by NOAA Fisheries.
The daily bag limit is two red snapper per person with a minimum size of 16 inches total length. Anglers 16 and older must hold an Alabama saltwater fishing license (resident or non-resident, annual or trip) and a Gulf Reef Fish Endorsement, available at www.outdooralabama.com/saltwater-fishing/saltwater-reef-fish-endorsement. Alabama residents 65 or older or lifetime saltwater license holders must have a current saltwater angler registration, which is free at www.outdooralabama.com/saltwater-fishing/saltwater-angler-registration.
Anglers under 16 are exempt from licensing, Gulf Reef Fish Endorsement and saltwater angler registration requirements, but their catch must be included in a landing report.
All anglers landing red snapper in Alabama are required by law to report their catch through the state's Snapper Check system before removing fish from the boat or taking the boat out of the water. This applies to all landed red snapper, regardless of where the fish were caught. Landing reports can be submitted through the Outdoor AL app, available for Apple and Android devices, or online at www.outdooralabama.com.
Red snapper caught from non-powered vessels, piers or shorelines must also be reported through Snapper Check using a Conservation ID number, which can be obtained at https://game.dcnr.alabama.gov/CID.
Operators of Alabama commercial party boats without federal for-hire permits must follow the state season, possess a Gulf Reef Fish Endorsement and remain inside the 9-mile state waters line. These operators must also complete a Snapper Check landing report.
Federally permitted for-hire vessels, however, may transit through state waters with red snapper during the federal season. Once the federal season closes, they may not fish in either state or federal waters.
All vessels fishing for reef fish in federal waters must have a venting tool or descending device rigged and ready to use.
MRD will monitor landings throughout the season using Snapper Check and will provide weekly updates at www.outdooralabama.com. A closure date will be announced once the 2025 quota is anticipated to be met.
