Snook season reopening on Atlantic coast Feb. 1
For immediate release: January 26, 2012
Contact: Amanda Nalley, 850-487-0554
Snook season reopening on Atlantic coast only
The recreational harvest season for snook reopens on Feb. 1 in Florida’s Atlantic coastal and inland waters, including Lake Okeechobee and the Kissimmee River.
Anglers may keep one snook between 28 and 32 inches total length per day in the allowable harvest areas only. Fishermen targeting snook must have a snook permit as well as a saltwater license unless they are exempt from having a license. Using snatch hooks and spears is prohibited.
It is illegal to buy or sell snook.
The harvest of snook remains closed in all of Florida’s Gulf of Mexico state waters, including Everglades National Park and Monroe County, until Aug. 31. Anglers may still catch and release snook during the closure, but the FWC encourages everyone to handle and release these fish carefully to help ensure their survival upon release.
This Gulf closure went into effect Dec. 15, 2010, after the population was impacted by prolonged cold weather. The closure will give the Gulf snook population time to rebound. A stock assessment completed by the FWC’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute is due to the Commission in 2012.
Visit MyFWC.com/Fishing and click on “Saltwater” for more information on snook.