Snook Season Coming to a Close

The recreational harvest of snook will close in all Atlantic waters, including the inland waters of Lake Okeechobee and the Kissimmee River, beginning Dec. 15, with the last day of harvest being Dec. 14.

According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the season will reopen in the Atlantic’s state and federal waters Feb. 1, 2013.

Snook season is currently closed in Gulf of Mexico state and federal waters, and will remain closed through Aug. 31, 2013, to give the fish time to fully rebound after many died from severe cold weather in 2010.

The extended Gulf harvest closure will help protect snook populations this winter, when they are most vulnerable to cold weather, and give snook added protection during next spring and summer’s spawning months, according to the wildlife commission.

Anglers may still catch and release snook during the harvest closure, and the FWC encourages everyone to handle and release these fish carefully to help ensure their post-release survival.

According to the FWC, snook regulations, including a bag limit of one fish a person, each day and a slot limit of no less than 28 inches and no more than 32 inches, apply to snook harvested in both state and federal waters off Florida. No one may possess any snook caught during snook closed seasons.

For more information regarding the management of snook in Florida, visit MyFWC.com/Fishing and click on “Saltwater Fishing,” “Recreational Regulations” and “Snook.”