Florida Fishing Regulations for Charter Guests: What You Need to Know

This page is for guests booking a fishing charter in Florida who want to understand the rules before they get on the water. It covers bag limits, size limits, catch-and-release requirements, and what happens when you want to take fish home. It is written for charter guests on licensed commercial vessels. Not anglers fishing from their own boats, which have different requirements.

Important: Fishing regulations change frequently in Florida. Seasonally, annually, and in response to stock assessments. The figures on this page reflect publicly available information as of April 2026, sourced from myfwc.com (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission) and fisheries.noaa.gov. Verify current limits at myfwc.com before your trip. This page is a general reference, not a legal authority.

Who This Applies To

Florida fishing regulations apply to everyone on the water. Including guests on licensed charter vessels. Being on a charter does not exempt you from bag limits or size limits. What it does typically provide is coverage under the captain’s vessel fishing license (see fishing license requirements for full details), so you generally do not need a separate recreational license for saltwater species on a licensed for-hire vessel.

Your captain is responsible for operating within state and federal regulations. A licensed, experienced captain will know the current rules and will enforce them. You don’t need to memorize every limit. But understanding the basics helps you have a better experience and set realistic expectations for what you can keep.

Bag Limits for Common Charter Species

These figures are approximate and change seasonally. Do not rely on them for compliance. Verify every limit at myfwc.com before your trip.

The table below reflects general recreational bag limits as publicly reported by myfwc.com as of April 2026.

Data as of April 2026 per myfwc.com. Verify all limits before your trip.

Catch-and-Release Requirements

Some species in Florida are protected and must be immediately released. Others have slot limits. Fish outside a specified size range must go back regardless of bag limits.

Tarpon: Tarpon under 75 inches total length must be released immediately in Florida waters. For fish 75 inches or larger, a tarpon tag is required to take the fish. Captains rarely keep trophy tarpon. Most tarpon fishing in Florida is catch-and-release by practice, not just by law. Key West and the Tampa Bay area are major tarpon fisheries where virtually all fish are released.

Snook: Snook have a slot limit (generally 28" to 33" on the Gulf coast, verify current Atlantic measurements at myfwc.com) and closed seasons during spawning. A fish caught outside the slot or during a closed season must be released. Your captain will know current snook seasons. Ask before you book if keeping snook is important to you.

Redfish: The slot limit (generally 18" to 27") is one of the most strictly enforced limits in Florida inshore fishing. Any redfish outside the slot. Too large or too small. Must go back. One keeper per person per day within the slot.

Grouper and Snapper: Both have minimum size limits, closed seasons, and bag limits that vary significantly by species and by whether you’re in federal or state waters. Your captain will track this. If you want to keep fish, ask your captain which grouper and snapper species are currently in open season before the trip.

Seasonal Closures

Several important species have seasonal closures that affect whether you can keep any fish at all, regardless of bag limits. These include:

• Red Snapper (Gulf federal waters): The federal Gulf red snapper season has specific open dates that vary year to year and are typically shorter than the full calendar year. This is one of the most important closures to verify at myfwc.com before booking a Panhandle offshore trip.
• Snook: Closed seasons typically align with spawning windows. The Gulf coast and Atlantic coast have different calendars.
• Gag Grouper: Subject to seasonal closures; the timing shifts based on stock assessments.

Your captain must comply with all closures, and reputable captains will be fully current. If you are booking specifically to keep a certain species, call the captain and confirm that species will be in open season on your trip date.

Your Captain’s License and What It Covers

Guests on a Coast Guard-licensed for-hire vessel in Florida are typically covered under the captain’s vessel license for saltwater recreational fishing. You do not usually need a separate individual recreational fishing license to fish from a licensed charter boat in Florida saltwater. See the fishing license requirements page for the complete breakdown and exceptions.

The captain’s license does not change what you can keep. Bag limits, size limits, and slot limits apply to every person on the boat. Guests included. If you have 4 guests and each has a 1-fish bag limit for redfish, the boat can keep up to 4 redfish total that fall within the slot. The captain counts toward the total too if they participate in fishing.

Taking Fish Home

If you catch fish you want to keep, here is how it typically works on Florida charters:

Fish cleaning: Many charter operators offer fish cleaning and filleting at the end of the trip, either included in the price or for a fee (often $1 to $2 per pound or a flat fee). Ask at booking whether cleaning is included.

Packing for travel: Cleaned fillets can be transported in a cooler. Most fishing destinations in Florida have businesses near the marina that sell ice and vacuum-seal fish for travel.

Airline rules: The TSA permits fish and fish fillets in checked luggage. Frozen or fresh fish in a cooler is acceptable. Each airline may have size and weight limits for checked coolers. Verify with your airline before packing. Fish must be in a sealed, leak-proof container. A cooler with a drain open per TSA rules is typical.

Fish in carry-on: Fillets in a sealed, leak-proof container are technically permitted in carry-on if they fit in the bag and pass security inspection, but checking them in a cooler is far more practical and common.

Fish cleaning disposal: Do not transport whole, ungutted fish on domestic flights without confirming current regulations. Bring cleaned fillets, not whole fish with organs.

Where to Find Current Florida Regulations

The single official source for all Florida fishing regulations is:

• myfwc.com. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The “Fishing Regulations” section covers saltwater, freshwater, licenses, and all species-specific rules.
• fisheries.noaa.gov. For federal regulations (federal Gulf waters, Atlantic Highly Migratory Species like wahoo and mahi-mahi).

Ask your captain for the current rules on any species you specifically want to target. A licensed Florida charter captain must be current on regulations to hold their license. They are your best real-time resource.

Ready to Book a Charter?

Now that you understand the regulatory basics, the next step is finding the right destination and charter for your group.

• Panhandle for offshore reef fishing: Destin Fishing Charters. Red snapper, grouper, and amberjack offshore
• Tampa Bay for inshore and family trips: Clearwater Fishing Charters. Snook, redfish, and tarpon in protected bay water
• South Florida for sailfish and offshore: Miami Fishing Charters or Fort Lauderdale Fishing Charters
• Florida Keys for flats and backcountry: Key West Fishing Charters. Tarpon, permit, bonefish
• Compare all 12 destinations: Florida Destinations Overview