The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is closing the recreational harvest of red grouper in state waters of the Gulf of Mexico, excluding waters of Monroe County, on Aug. 30 for the remainder of the 2022 fishing season. Harvest will reopen on Jan. 31, 2023.  

This closure is consistent with the closure in federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Fisheries Service. The recreational red grouper fishery was closed in federal waters because landings information indicates that the 2022 recreational quota is projected to be met on Aug. 29, 2022. Red grouper is primarily a Florida fishery and consistent open/closed seasons in state and federal waters off Florida is important to prevent overfishing and continue to improve stock abundance.        

For more on these regulations, visit MyFWC.com/Marine and select “Recreational Regulations” or download the Fish Rules App at Instagram.com/FishRules or Facebook.com/FishRulesApp.