Can you keep the fish you catch in the Florida Keys?
Yes, within Florida’s size and bag limits. Snapper, mahi, kingfish, wahoo and blackfin tuna can be kept all year; black and red grouper from May to December. Tarpon and bonefish are catch-and-release only. On a charter the crew measures each fish, knows the rules for where you fished and cleans what you keep.
Florida Keys size limits, bag limits and seasons
Florida state-water rules as they apply in the Keys, read on each FWC species page on October 6, 2026. Bag limits are per person per day. TL is total length, FL is fork length. Federal water, beyond three miles on the Atlantic side, can differ; the captain fishes to whichever applies.
| Fish | Minimum size | Bag limit | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mahi-mahi (dolphin) On a charter the boat’s limit is 5 times the customers fishing. The captain and crew may keep none. | 20 in FL | 5 per person | Open all year |
| Yellowtail snapper | 12 in TL | 10, within the 10-snapper total | Open all year |
| Mutton snapper | 18 in TL | 5, within the 10-snapper total | Open all year |
| Mangrove (gray) snapper | 10 in TL (12 in federal water) | 5 in state water, within the 10-snapper total | Open all year |
| Black grouper Charter captain and crew may keep none. | 24 in TL | 1 gag or black, within 3 grouper | May 1 to Dec 31 (closed Jan 1 to Apr 30) |
| Red grouper | 20 in TL | Up to 3, within 3 grouper | May 1 to Dec 31 (closed Jan 1 to Apr 30) |
| Gag grouper FWC sets the Atlantic gag season each year. | 24 in TL | 1 gag or black, within 3 grouper | 2026 season was May 1 to Aug 1; closed now |
| Hogfish | 16 in FL | 1 per person | May 1 to Oct 31 |
| Greater amberjack | 28 in FL | 1 per person | Closed in April (Atlantic rules) |
| Kingfish (king mackerel) | 24 in FL | 3 per person in Monroe County | Open all year |
| Wahoo | None | 2 per person | Open all year |
| Blackfin tuna | None | 2 per person or 10 per boat, whichever is greater | Open all year |
| Cobia | 36 in FL | 1 per person or 2 per boat, whichever is less | Open all year |
| Sailfish Almost every Keys sailfish is released. | 63 in lower jaw to fork | 1 billfish per person | Open all year |
| Great barracuda | 15–36 in FL slot (1 over 36 in allowed) | 2 per person, 6 per boat | Open all year |
| Permit | 22 in FL | 1 per person, 2 per boat | Closed Apr 1 to Jul 31 (Special Permit Zone) |
| Snook | 28–33 in TL slot | 1 per person | Closed Dec 1 to end of Feb and May 1 to Sep 30 |
| Tarpon A tarpon over 40 inches must stay in the water. | — | Catch and release only | All year |
| Bonefish | — | Catch and release only | All year |
Release-only fish
Tarpon and bonefish are catch-and-release in Florida, all year. A tarpon over 40 inches must stay in the water; the only way to keep one is a record-attempt tag, one per person per year. Goliath grouper cannot be kept in the Keys’ Atlantic waters or any federal water, and Nassau grouper cannot be kept anywhere. Hammerhead, tiger and lemon sharks are protected, as is the smalltooth sawfish.
That is why a flats or tarpon trip ends with photographs. If dinner is the point of the day, say so when you book, and the operator will steer you to the reef. The species guide sorts the catch by the water it lives in.
Seasons to watch in October 2026
- Gag grouper is closed. The 2026 Atlantic season ran May 1 to August 1. Black and red grouper stay open to December 31.
- Hogfish closes after October 31 and reopens May 1.
- Atlantic red snapper opens October 9 to 22, one fish per person with no minimum size, and FWC requires for-hire captains to declare their trips. Outside that window it cannot be kept.
- Snook is open in the Keys until November 30, one fish in the 28 to 33-inch slot.
- Grouper closes January 1. From then to April 30 no shallow-water grouper can be kept in any Monroe County water.
Why the captain decides on the boat
Three sets of rules overlap here. Florida’s apply in state water, out to three miles on the Atlantic side. Federal rules from NOAA and the regional councils apply beyond that. The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary adds no-take zones over both. FWC’s rules also draw a line along US-1 between Atlantic and Gulf waters, and a few reef fish, such as amberjack, triggerfish and red snapper, carry different Gulf-side rules.
So the same fish can be legal in one spot and not the next. Captains work to that every day, measure each fish, and will tell you what goes in the box.
What happens to the fish you keep
Fifteen of the twenty operators on the operator list say plainly that you keep your legal catch, and almost all clean and bag it free at the dock. The exception read was the Gulfstream party boat, at $0.50 a fish. Charter Boat Linda D says unwanted fish can go to the crew.
Bring a cooler with ice for the drive back, or take the fillets to one of the Key West restaurants that cook your catch: what happens to your fish names the ones operators recommend.
No licence needed to keep fish on a charter
Customers on a licensed charter, guide boat or party boat need no Florida saltwater licence, and are exempt from the State Reef Fish Survey that private-boat anglers need for snapper and grouper. Limits still apply to every fish you keep. Do you need a fishing licence covers when you would need one.
Check the current rules
FWC re-sets limits and seasons. These are the pages the table above was read from.
- FWC — Recreational saltwater fishing regulations Current state size limits, bag limits and seasons, species by species. Link checked 6 September 2026
- FWC — Snapper regulations The reef fishery: yellowtail, mutton, mangrove and red snapper rules. Link checked 6 September 2026
- FWC — Grouper regulations Grouper seasons and limits, which differ between Atlantic and Gulf waters. Link checked 6 September 2026
- FWC — Tarpon regulations Tarpon is catch-and-release with a tag required to possess or transport one. Link checked 6 September 2026
- South Atlantic Fishery Management Council Federal management for snapper, grouper and reef species on the Atlantic side. Link checked 6 September 2026
- Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Sanctuary zones, marked areas and restrictions that overlay the entire Keys fishery. Link checked 6 September 2026
Keeping fish: questions
Can we keep the fish we catch on a Florida Keys charter?
Yes, within Florida’s limits, on reef and offshore trips. Snapper, mahi, kingfish, wahoo and blackfin tuna can be kept all year at the right size; grouper from May 1 to December 31. Tarpon and bonefish are catch-and-release only, so a flats day usually ends with photographs, not fillets. The crew measures each fish and tells you what is legal.
How many mahi can you keep in the Florida Keys?
Five per person per day, each at least 20 inches to the fork, in Florida’s Atlantic waters, which include the Keys. On a charter the boat’s limit is five times the number of customers fishing, and the captain and crew may keep none. Federal water further out allows more, but most Keys mahi trips fish under the state rule.
When is grouper season in the Florida Keys?
Black and red grouper can be kept from May 1 to December 31 and are closed from January 1 to April 30 in all Monroe County waters. Gag grouper has its own shorter season, set each year: in 2026 it ran May 1 to August 1 and is closed now. The limit is three grouper per person, no more than one of them gag or black.
Do I need a fishing licence to keep fish on a charter?
No. Customers on a licensed charter, guide or party boat are exempt from Florida’s saltwater licence, and from the State Reef Fish Survey. The boat’s licence covers you, limits still apply. Do you need a fishing licence covers the exceptions.
Who cleans the fish we keep?
The crew, almost always. Most Key West operators clean and bag your catch free at the dock. The Gulfstream party boat charges $0.50 a fish. Many visitors take the fillets to a restaurant that cooks your catch. What to expect on the day covers the cleaning table.
Next step
Looking for fishing trips in the Florida Keys?
Fishing Trips Florida Keys is an independent guide — no boats, no bookings, nothing to sell. It exists so you can ask better questions before you hand an operator a deposit.
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