PANAMA CITY, Fla. — Great news, anglers! Florida recreational red snapper season will be extended by two more weeks this year, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Thursday in Panama City.
DeSantis said the 2023 season will be 70 days and will be "the longest ever since the state has undertaken management."
The season will be broken into two parts that will include a summer and fall season.
The 46-day summer season will begin on June 16, 2023, and will run through July 31, 2023. The 24-day fall season will include all weekends in October and November, Friday–Sunday. See fall season dates below:
- Oct. 6–8
- Oct. 13–15
- Oct. 20–22
- Oct. 27–29
- Nov. 3–5
- Nov. 10–12 (Veterans Day Weekend)
- Nov. 17–19
- Nov. 24–26 (The weekend after Thanksgiving)
People who are able to participate in the 2023 Gulf red snapper season include those fishing from private recreational vessels in state and federal waters in the Gulf, and charter vessels without a federal reef fish permit that are limited to fishing in state waters, a news release from the governor's office says.
“Florida is the Fishing Capital of the World, and the gulf red snapper season brings anglers from across the country to enjoy our waters,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “It is a generational tradition for so many who call Florida home."