The Alabama Conservation Advisory Board recently voted unanimously to approve the state Marine Resources Division’s (MRD) proposal to expand the state’s 2025 red snapper season.

The changes should be great news for those who love to fish for Alabama’s signature saltwater species. State and federal waters will open to private and state-licensed charter vessel anglers for red snapper harvest on Friday, May 23.

“The recommendation from our Marine Resources Division is to set the opening of red snapper season on the Friday before Memorial Day and be open seven days a week through June 30,” Chris Blankenship, commissioner of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, told the board before its vote. “Then it would be open for four-day weekends starting July 4 until the quota is met. … The majority of the people who responded to the (MRD) survey wanted that season instead of just a weekend season.”

According to MRD’s Snapper Check data, private anglers harvested 570,856 pounds of red snapper during the 2024 season, well below the harvest limit of 659,654 pounds. MRD conducted a series of public meetings last fall and took public comments on fisheries management under the state’s control.

The Alabama Conservation Advisory Board voted to open the private recreational red snapper season for the entire month of June. (David Rainer / Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources)

New for 2025

The season will be open seven days a week from May 23 until 11:59 p.m. on Monday, June 30. The season will then transition to four-day weekends starting July 4 until the private angler quota is met. The Alabama private angler quota for 2025 is set by NOAA Fisheries and is anticipated to be 664,552 pounds.

The previous weekend-only season format had been in place since 2017. “Under state management, we have the ability to adapt our red snapper season to meet the needs of anglers that fish in Alabama,” Blankenship said. “For 2025, we are opening the season for the entire month of June to give our private anglers and state-licensed charter boats better opportunities during the peak of the season. We anticipate a great red snapper season this year that will provide anglers with more opportunities to catch red snapper through early summer and hopefully into the fall.”

The season dates listed above apply only to anglers fishing from shore, private recreational vessels and state-licensed Alabama commercial party boats that do not hold federal for-hire fishing permits. The season for anglers fishing from federally permitted for-hire vessels will be announced by NOAA Fisheries at a future date.

Alabama uses Snapper Check to monitor shore, private vessel and state charter angler landings during the season and will provide weekly updates at www.outdooralabama.com.

MRD will announce a season closure date when the 2025 quota is anticipated to be met.

A fisherman holds a red snapper caught in the Gulf of America. (file)

Reminders for anglers

• Weekends open to red snapper harvest are defined as 12:01 a.m. Friday through 11:59 p.m. Monday.
• The daily bag limit will be two red snapper per person, per day, with a minimum size limit of 16 inches total length.
• Anglers 16 and older must have an Alabama saltwater fishing license (resident or nonresident, annual or trip), and any Alabama resident 65 or older or a lifetime saltwater license holder must have a current saltwater angler registration. The registration is free and available at www.outdooralabama.com/saltwater-fishing/saltwater-angler-registration.
• All anglers 16 and older who possess Gulf reef fish, including red snapper, must have an Alabama Gulf Reef Fish Endorsement, which is available at www.outdooralabama.com/saltwater-fishing/saltwater-reef-fish-endorsement.
• Anglers younger than 16 are not required to be licensed, possess an Alabama Gulf Reef Fish Endorsement or have saltwater angler registration, but their catch must be included in a landing report.
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  Alabama uses Snapper Check to monitor shore, private vessel and state charter angler landings during the season. (Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources)

  The owner or operator of each vessel landing red snapper in Alabama is required by law to complete one landing report per vessel trip of their harvested red snapper through Snapper Check prior to removing the fish from the boat or the boat with the fish being removed from the water. All landed red snapper are required to be reported prior to landing regardless of the jurisdiction in which the fish were caught. Greater amberjack and gray triggerfish are also required to be reported when the season is open and must be reported in Snapper Check.

• Red snapper caught from nonpowered vessels, piers and the shoreline are required to be reported through Snapper Check and require a Conservation ID number, https://game.dcnr.alabama.gov/CID.
• A landing report may be submitted through Snapper Check in the Outdoor AL app, available from Apple and Android stores or online at www.outdooralabama.com.
• Participation in an MRD creel survey or being inspected by enforcement officers is not considered reporting. Anglers must still report through Snapper Check even if encountered by MRD staff.
• Operators of vessels with an Alabama commercial party boat license without federal for-hire permits must abide by the state season, possess an Alabama Gulf Reef Fish Endorsement for charter vessels and may fish only inside the 9-mile state waters line. An Alabama Snapper Check landing report must be completed when landing red snapper in Alabama.
• Possession of red snapper in state waters while the Alabama season is closed is prohibited. Anglers fishing under another state’s red snapper season must abide by that state’s rules and land fish in that state. Individuals on vessels with recreationally caught red snapper may not transit Alabama state waters while the Alabama season is closed.
• Operators of federally permitted for-hire boats must possess an Alabama Gulf Reef Fish Endorsement but are not required to report through Snapper Check.
• All vessels fishing for reef fish in federal waters are required to have a venting tool or descending device rigged and ready to use.
• Anglers on federally permitted charter vessels may fish in state waters only during the days the state season is open. They may transit with red snapper during the days state waters are closed. Once the federal season is closed, they may not fish in state or federal waters. Owners and operators of federally permitted charter vessels are required to possess an Alabama Gulf Reef Fish Endorsement.

This report was compiled from two articles published on the Alabama Department of Natural Resources’ Outdoor Alabama website.