BOCA RATON, FL (Boca Post) (Copyright © 2026) — Florida anglers planning Atlantic red snapper trips this weekend can still fish for red snapper in state waters, but they will be doing so under a different set of rules than the season first announced under a federal permit.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said it changed course after a federal court ruling temporarily stalled Florida’s Atlantic Red Snapper Exempted Fishing Permit, known as an EFP, issued by NOAA Fisheries earlier this month.
FWC announced the change just after midnight at the start of the planned red snapper season.
The agency said the ruling affected the EFP that had been approved for the Atlantic recreational red snapper fishery. That permit was designed to allow expanded harvest opportunities in Atlantic state and federal waters while Florida tested new reporting, fishing-effort and discard data systems for the 2026 season.
As a result of the court action, NOAA temporarily stalled the EFP. FWC said it has rescinded Executive Order 26-11, effective May 21, allowing recreational anglers to continue with planned trips in Florida state waters.
The practical effect is important for boaters along Florida’s Atlantic coast, including Palm Beach County anglers who fish offshore from Boca Raton, Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, Lake Worth Beach and other coastal ramps.
Under the modified state plan, the recreational bag limit defaults to two red snapper per person with a 20-inch size limit in state waters. FWC said that rule will remain in effect until further notice.
That is different from the previously announced EFP season, which had been structured as a 39-day open Atlantic red snapper season with a summer season from May 22 through June 20 and fall openings in October. Under the EFP program, participating anglers were to be allowed one red snapper per person per day with no minimum size limit, along with trip declaration and reporting requirements.
The EFP also included requirements for private recreational anglers and for-hire operators. Private anglers were required to have a Florida saltwater recreational fishing license unless exempt, along with a free State Reef Fish Angler designation. For-hire vessels were required to sign up for the free Atlantic For-Hire Reef Fish Registry.
The broader EFP program was meant to test Florida’s ability to manage the Atlantic recreational red snapper fishery with expanded harvest access and better data collection. FWC’s background material says the effort included a web-based reporting system, voluntary post-trip data reporting and surveys aimed at measuring catch, effort and discard rates.
The agency also said the program was intended to address discard mortality, which refers to fish that are caught alive but later die after being released. FWC has said better information from anglers is needed to improve future management of the Atlantic snapper-grouper fishery.
For now, the court ruling has disrupted that broader federal permit structure. FWC said it will issue an updated executive order reestablishing the extended red snapper season if the EFP is unfrozen and restored.
FWC also said its officers have been notified about the changing situation and will provide education within the agency’s jurisdictional waters. That point matters for anglers leaving the dock with plans already made, especially during the opening weekend of a season that has changed quickly.
Public reaction to FWC’s Facebook post was mixed and, in several cases, sharply critical. Some commenters focused on NOAA’s role in the fishery, while others criticized FWC’s wording, particularly the agency’s use of “rogue federal judge” in a public statement. One commenter called the language “extremely unprofessional,” while another wrote that the situation was “ridiculous.” Other comments reflected frustration from anglers who had already planned trips and expected to spend money on fuel, gear and time on the water.
For anglers, the immediate question is not the politics of the ruling but what is legal when they leave the dock. FWC’s current message is narrow: the federal EFP has been temporarily stalled, but red snapper fishing can continue in Florida state waters under the default state regulation.
Anglers should check FWC’s current red snapper rules before leaving the dock, especially if their trip may cross between state and federal waters.
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