The gag grouper season is short and set year by year by NOAA Fisheries, and it runs on different calendars in the Gulf of Mexico and the South Atlantic. In 2025, Gulf federal waters opened for recreational gag from 12:01 a.m. local time on September 1 through 12:01 a.m. on September 15 — a 14-day window.1NOAA Fisheries. NOAA Fisheries Announces the 2025 Gag Recreational Season in Federal Waters of the Gulf South Atlantic federal waters were open from May 1 through the closure at 12:01 a.m. on June 26, 2025.2South Atlantic Fishery Management Council. Grouper, Gag Outside those windows, bag and possession limits drop to zero and the fish must go back in the water.
Gulf of Mexico Recreational Dates
NOAA sets the Gulf recreational dates each year based on projected catch rates and the available quota. The 2026 dates had not been published at the time of writing; the agency usually announces them a few weeks before opening day, and a similarly narrow window is likely.
The moment a Gulf closure takes effect, possession of gag grouper caught in or from federal waters is prohibited.1NOAA Fisheries. NOAA Fisheries Announces the 2025 Gag Recreational Season in Federal Waters of the Gulf No fish on the boat, in the cooler, or at the dock. State waters along the Gulf coast generally mirror the federal season, but individual states can set their own dates for waters under their jurisdiction.
South Atlantic Recreational Dates
Gag in South Atlantic federal waters follows a different calendar. The season typically starts May 1, and NOAA can shorten it if projected landings approach the recreational annual catch limit before the scheduled end.3eCFR. 50 CFR 622.193 – Annual Catch Limits (ACLs) and Accountability Measures
The recreational catch limit is climbing from about 176,665 pounds (gutted weight) in 2025 to roughly 220,030 pounds in 2026.3eCFR. 50 CFR 622.193 – Annual Catch Limits (ACLs) and Accountability Measures A larger quota should mean a longer 2026 window, though the exact dates depend on NOAA’s projections closer to May. Once the season closes, bag and possession limits revert to zero, same as in the Gulf.
State Waters vs. Federal Waters
Where you cross the jurisdictional line matters, because the rules can differ on either side. Along the Atlantic coast, state waters generally extend three nautical miles from shore. In the Gulf of Mexico, Texas and the west coast of Florida claim nine nautical miles.4National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. U.S. Maritime Limits and Boundaries Federal waters — the Exclusive Economic Zone — start where state waters end and run out to 200 nautical miles.5National Ocean Service. What Is the Exclusive Economic Zone
If a state keeps its waters open while federal waters are closed, you can fish for gag only within that state boundary. There is one important exception. Any vessel holding a federal charter or headboat permit for Gulf reef fish must follow the federal zero-possession rule even while fishing entirely in state waters during a federal closure.1NOAA Fisheries. NOAA Fisheries Announces the 2025 Gag Recreational Season in Federal Waters of the Gulf The federal permit travels with the vessel.
Bag and Size Limits When the Season Is Open
Open season does not mean unlimited harvest. In Gulf federal waters, the recreational bag limit is two gag per person per day, counted inside a four-fish aggregate covering most grouper species. Captains and crew on federally permitted charter and headboat vessels have a zero bag limit — they cannot keep any grouper.6eCFR. 50 CFR 622.38 – Bag and Possession Limits
The South Atlantic is tighter: one gag per person per day, inside a three-grouper aggregate.2South Atlantic Fishery Management Council. Grouper, Gag In both regions, the minimum size is 24 inches total length, measured from the lower jaw to the tip of the compressed tail. Anything shorter goes back immediately.
Commercial harvest runs on a separate system. Gulf commercial gag is managed under individual fishing quotas rather than a short seasonal window, and South Atlantic commercial gag typically opens May 1 and closes when landings hit the commercial limit.7NOAA Fisheries. 2026 and 2025-2026 Preliminary Gulf of America Commercial Landings8NOAA Fisheries. Commercial Closure for Gag in South Atlantic Federal Waters
Required Gear for Reef Fish
Federal rules require specific tackle on board whenever you target reef fish in Gulf federal waters. These requirements apply year-round, not only during the open season, and an enforcement officer can cite you for missing gear before you’ve caught a thing.
- Non-stainless steel circle hooks when fishing with natural bait in Gulf federal waters. The hook point must curve back toward the shank, forming a circular or oval shape. In South Atlantic federal waters north of 28° N latitude, the hooks must also be non-offset, meaning the point aligns with the shank rather than angling to one side.9eCFR. 50 CFR 622.30 – Required Fishing Gear
- At least one dehooking device on board, used to remove hooks from reef fish with minimal damage. It needs a blunt, rounded end and must be sized for the hooks you’re using.10eCFR. 50 CFR 622.30 – Required Fishing Gear
- A venting tool or descending device rigged and ready for immediate use. This came in with the DESCEND Act, signed in January 2021, and the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council voted in November 2025 to replace the expiring statute with a permanent regulation carrying the same requirements.11NOAA Fisheries. Descending Device and Venting Tool for the Direct Enhancement of Snapper Conservation and the Economy through Novel Devices Act of 202012Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council. November 2025 Council Meeting Summary
A descending device must have at least a 16-ounce weight and 60 feet of line attached.13NOAA Fisheries. NOAA Fisheries Reminds Reef Fish Fishermen of DESCEND Act Requirements and Announces a Final Rule to Clarify Descending Device and Venting Tool Definitions for Reef Fish Fishing It clips onto the fish and carries it back to the depth where you hooked it. A venting tool is a sharp, hollow needle that punctures the swim bladder behind the pectoral fin to release trapped gas. Both address barotrauma, the expansion of internal gases when a fish is pulled up from deep water. Without intervention, a released gag suffering barotrauma floats at the surface and dies. Studies consistently show higher survival rates with descending devices than with venting, so if you have both, reach for the descending device first.
Penalties for Fishing Out of Season
Possessing gag during a closure, exceeding the bag limit, or keeping undersized fish all violate the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. The statutory maximum civil penalty is $100,000 per violation, and each day of a continuing violation counts as a separate offense.14Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 16 USC 1858 – Civil Penalties and Permit Sanctions NOAA periodically adjusts that ceiling for inflation, so the actual maximum in any given year may be higher. In practice, a first-time recreational angler caught with one out-of-season grouper will not face a six-figure penalty; NOAA’s enforcement policy starts with written warnings or modest fines for minor violations and escalates from there. Repeat offenders and commercial-scale violators move into more serious territory quickly.
Major violations can be referred for criminal prosecution. The Lacey Act adds another layer: anyone who knowingly sells, purchases, or traffics in illegally caught fish worth more than $350 faces up to $20,000 in criminal fines and five years of imprisonment.15Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 16 USC Chapter 53 – Control of Illegally Taken Fish and Wildlife Without a knowing intent to sell, a person who should have known the fish were illegally taken can be fined up to $10,000 and imprisoned up to a year.
Enforcement officers can also seize your catch, your tackle, and in serious cases your vessel. NOAA has broad authority to suspend or revoke federal fishing permits, and that is where the real damage lands for charter operators.14Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 16 USC 1858 – Civil Penalties and Permit Sanctions A suspended Gulf reef fish charter permit means no legal for-hire reef fish trips until it is reinstated. State agencies enforce their own penalties on top of the federal consequences for fish caught in state waters, and those fines vary by jurisdiction.