Red Snapper Season 2022: Details And Where To Go

What Is a Red Snapper?

Red snapper is one of the most highly sought-after game fish in the Gulf of Mexico, and for good reason - they’re a blast to catch and delicious to eat (and they look awesome in pictures). Red snapper can be found greater than 50 feet deep and you’ll find them in reefs and by offshore rigs in the Gulf - every guide has their own little honey holes that they mark as having countless snapper. Red Snapper can also reach pretty substantial sizes; they can be 40 inches long and up to 50 pounds - no joke to bring up from the depths!!

Red snapper are a pleasure to catch, but this lead to overfishing from the end of World War II to the mid 1990’s due to a combination of increased commercial action and better access to boats for recreational anglers. A fishery rebuilding plan was implemented in 2005 with the goal of building the red snapper population back up by 2032 (the plan is working, by the way). This includes catch limits and specific fishing seasons, and means the red snapper season is the most limited (and sought after) of the species in the gulf.

Read on for dates, sizes, and bag limits...

What Is the Difference Between State and Federal Waters?

State waters and federal waters differ in terms of regulations (which can mean different seasons, different bag limits, and different size limits), so it can be crucial to know where you stand. Across most of the U.S., state waters extend to 3 nautical miles (just slightly over a normal mile), but in the Gulf of Mexico state waters are extended a little further, to 9 nautical miles. This means that for Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and the Gulf Coast of Florida, a recreational angler can head out 9 nautical miles and still fall under state regulations.

As mentioned above, these boundaries will impact what an angler can catch but lesser known is the impact on guides - federal reef fish permits in the Gulf of Mexico can be harder to obtain (and more expensive). New permits haven’t been issued since 2003, which means the total number of guides is capped. Federal waters are more productive but it’s harder to find a guide.

2022 Gulf of Mexico Federal Water Red Snapper Season

The 2022 for hire red snapper season in federal waters will open June 1st and run until the quota is met. Anglers must still comply with the bag limits set by state wildlife organizations. The 2021 federal red snapper season was 62 days long for chartered trips and 63 days for private trips in the summer, and then reopened for 22 days in the fall.

2022 Alabama State Water Red Snapper Season

The 2022 Alabama red snapper season opened Friday, May 27th, and will remain open until the recreational quota is met. Fishing will only be allowed on weekends Friday through Sunday. The seasons have been running longer over the last few years with anglers taking longer to reach the annual quota.

2022 Louisiana State Water Red Snapper Season

The 2022 Louisiana red snapper season opened Friday, May 27th with fishing only allowed on weekends. Daily bag limits are set at three fish per person and a minimum length of 16 inches. The season closed on September 17th. The harvest numbers came out below the annual quota so Louisiana state water red snapper has reopened for a week starting October 7th and closing October 14th.

2022 Mississippi State Water Red Snapper Season

The 2022 Mississippi red snapper season opened Friday, May 27th and run until July 4th or until the quota is met. Fishing will be allowed seven days a week with a daily bag limit of 2 fish per person.

2022 Florida State Water Red Snapper Season

The 2022 FloridaGulf recreational red snapper season opened June, 17th and run through July, 31st 2022. The daily bag limit is two fish per person with a minimum size of 16 inches. The season will also reopen for several weekends in the fall.

2022 Texas State Water Red Snapper Season

The 2022 Texas red snapper season reopened on January 1st and will remain open until the annual catch quota is met for state waters. Federal waters will reopen on June 1st after a temporary regulation delayed opening the season to preserve the quota. Daily bag limits are set at 4 fish per person in state waters and 2 fish per person in federal waters.

2022 Gulf of Mexico Federal Water Red Snapper Limit

The 2022 federal water red snapper limit for recreational anglers is 2 fish per person per day over 16 inches. Once the recreational quota is met, the season will end. If quotas aren’t reached, there is always the chance the season will be extended.

2022 Alabama State Water Red Snapper Limit

The Alabama red snapper bag limit is 2 fish per angler (not including the guide or crew) at 16 inches minimum length.

2022 Louisiana State Water Red Snapper Limit

The Louisiana red snapper bag limit is 3 fish per angler (not including the guide or crew) at 16 inches minimum length.

2022 Mississippi State Water Red Snapper Limit

The Mississippi red snapper bag limit is 2 fish per angler (not including the guide or crew) at 16 inches minimum length.

2022 Florida State Water Red Snapper Limit

The Florida daily red snapper bag limit is 2 fish per angler (not including the guide or crew) at 16 inches minimum length.

2022 Texas State Water Red Snapper Limit

The Texas daily red snapper bag limit is 4 fish per angler (not including the guide or crew) at 15 inches minimum.

Where Can I Catch Red Snapper Near Me And What Red Snapper Guide Should I Use?

Because of catch limits and the shortened season, red snapper fishing is hard to come by - there are only a few guides licensed to head out to federal waters, there are only a few days a year to head out, and the season can be further shortened if catch limits are reached early. This means if you want to go fishing for red snapper you need to book a guide further in advance than you normally might for another fishing trip.

The Best Alabama 2022 Red Snapper Charters and Guides

Check out some of the top Captain Experiences red snapper charters in Alabama below, or search all red snapper trips in Alabama here.

• -Head out on a half day red snapper trip from Gulf Breeze with Captain Scooter
• -Reef fish out of Orange Beach with Captain Bryars
• -Spend a full day on Captain Bryan's 38' Custom
• -Take a half day trip offshore with Captain Hieu

The Best Louisiana 2022 Red Snapper Charters and Guides

Check out some of the top Captain Experiences red snapper charters in Louisiana below, or search all red snapper trips in Louisiana here.

• -Stay on a refurbished oil rig in the Chandeleur Islands and hunt for red snapper from there
• -Spend 3 days and nights on Venice's backcountry & nearshore waters
• -Do a fishing double-header - spend one day inshore and another hunting for red snapper
• -Take an overnight offshore and red snapper adventure with Captain Donnie

The Best Mississippi 2022 Red Snapper Charters and Guides

Check out some of the top Captain Experiences red snapper charters in Mississippi below, or search all red snapper trips in Mississippi here.

• -Stay on a refurbished oil rig in the Chandeleur Islands and hunt for red snapper from there
• -Get out of Biloxi to search for snapper with Captain Chance
• -Fill your cooler with snapper with Captain Frank
• -Take an extended full-day red snapper trip with Captain Brandon

The Best Florida 2022 Red Snapper Charters and Guides

Check out some of the top Captain Experiences red snapper charters in Florida below, or search all red snapper trips in Florida here.

• -Head out for a Pensacola red snapper half day with Captain James
• -Catch Destin red snapper with Captain Robert
• -Get more red snapper in Destin with Captain Harold
• -Fish for red snapper with Captain Michael
• -Head out for a full day of snapper fishing in Captain Brad’s awesome sportfisher

The Best Texas 2022 Red Snapper Charters and Guides

Check out some of the top Captain Experiences red snapper charters in Texas below, or search all red snapper trips in Texas here.

• -Go down and catch South Padre Island red snapper with Captain Bryan - a legend in the area
• -Spend 6 hours fishing for red snapper from Freeport with Captain Rodney
• -Catch Port O’Connor red snapper with Captain Robert
• -Take a full day catching snapper from Galveston with Captain Sergio
• -Catch Port Aransas red snapper with Captain Daniel
• -Take a 72 hour offshore red snapper trip with Captain Ryan

Atlantic Red Snapper Season 2022

The recreational red snapper season in federal waters is open for two days in the Atlantic. The season opens at 12:01 am July 8th and will close at 12:01 am on July 10th.