Fisheries of the South Atlantic; 2026 South Atlantic Red Snapper Recreational Fishing Season

What it does

For the 2026 fishing year, NMFS announces the red snapper recreational fishing season dates in the South Atlantic exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Announcing the opening and closing dates of the red snapper recreational season is an accountability measure (AM) for the recreational sector and allows fishers the opportunity to harvest the recreational annual catch limit (ACL) while also managing harvest to protect the red snapper resource.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's summary, as published in the Federal Register.

What changed in the regulation

1 part of Title 50 of the Code of Federal Regulations:

50 CFR 622

Compared with

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has published 185 final rules in 2026 so far, compared with 184 in all of 2025.

Counted by the Tribune from Federal Register records since Jan. 1, 2025.

What happens next and when

The South Atlantic red snapper 2026 recreational fishing season opens at 12:01 a.m., local time, October 9, 2026, and closes at 12:01 a.m., local time, on October 12, 2026.

The agency's dates, word for word.

Check it yourself

• The document in the Federal Register
• Title 50 on eCFR

The record as published

Source: the Federal Register (public domain). The document in the Federal Register