Management Zones
Last Updated: July 20, 2026
What's Changed? | 2025-2026 | 2026-2027 |
| Spotted seatrout zone names | 5 zones: Western Panhandle (W.P.), Big Bend (B.B.), South (S.), Central East (C.E.), Northeast (N.E.). | 5 new named regions: Panhandle, Big Bend, Tampa Bay/Sarasota Bay/Charlotte Harbor/Southwest/Southeast (combined), Indian River Lagoon, Northeast. |
| Seatrout regional management metrics | Seven metrics used in evaluation (SPR, habitat, HABs, relative abundance, fishing effort, temperature, stakeholder feedback). | Six metrics — temperature removed from the list. |
New Spotted Seatrout Management Regions
Seatrout Regional Management
- FWC has implemented a regional management approach for spotted seatrout that brings a holistic view to management decisions using multiple metrics to evaluate the fishery on a smaller regional scale.
- There are six metrics used in the evaluation: spawning potential ratio (SPR), habitat, harmful algal blooms (HABs), relative abundance, fishing effort and stakeholder feedback.
- FWC staff will annually evaluate the spotted seatrout fishery in each region using the metrics, and key findings will be summarized in Annual Review publications.
Regional Regulations
Panhandle
Season: Closed in February
Bag limit: 3 fish
Slot limit: 15–19 inches
Over-slot allowance: One fish over-slot allowed per vessel or per person if fishing from shore
Big Bend
Season: Open year-round
Bag limit: 5 fish
Slot limit: 15–19 inches
Over-slot allowance: One fish over-slot allowed per vessel or per person if fishing from shore
Tampa Bay, Sarasota Bay, Charlotte Harbor, Southwest and Southeast
Season: Open year-round
Bag limit: 3 fish
Slot limit: 15–19 inches
Over-slot allowance: One fish over-slot allowed per vessel or per person if fishing from shore
Indian River Lagoon
Season: Closed Nov. 1–Dec. 31
Bag limit: 2 fish
Slot limit: 15–19 inches
Over-slot allowance: not allowed
Northeast
Season: Open year-round
Bag limit: 3 fish
Slot limit: 15–19 inches
Over-slot allowance: not allowed
To see the latest spotted seatrout annual reviews for each management region, visit MyFWC.com/Seatrout
Snook Management Regions
Snook has nine management regions and the recreational bag limit is one fish in all management regions. The Panhandle through Southwest regions have a 28–33 inch slot limit, the Northeast through Southeast regions have a 28–32 inch slot limit. Recreational closed seasons vary by region (see page 12 for seasons). For-hire captain and crew may not keep a bag limit while on a for-hire trip.
Red Drum Management Regions
For red drum, there are nine management regions. The daily bag limit is one fish in all the Florida state waters, except for the Indian River Lagoon region where red drum are catch-and-release only. Recreational vessel limits vary by region (see page 12 for vessel limits). For-hire captain and crew may not keep a bag limit while on a for-hire trip.
