# 2026-19456: Red Snapper Season: 3 Days Only—Hurry or Miss the Fish Party!

2026-19456, Fisheries of the South Atlantic; 2026 South Atlantic Red Snapper Recreational Fishing Season, is a Federal Register rule from Commerce Department, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration published 2026-09-23, effective 2026-10-09; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-09-30).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-19456
- As of: 2026-09-30
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Document number: 2026-19456
- Title: Fisheries of the South Atlantic; 2026 South Atlantic Red Snapper Recreational Fishing Season
- Type: Rule
- Agencies: Commerce Department; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
- Citation: 91 FR 60334
- Published: 2026-09-23
- Effective: 2026-10-09
- Comments close: not stated
- Significant: no
- Touches household money: yes
- Regulation identifier numbers: none
- Last updated: 2026-09-30

## In one line

Red Snapper Season: 3 Days Only—Hurry or Miss the Fish Party!

## Summary

Hey South Atlantic anglers! The 2026 red snapper recreational fishing season is set for just three days—from October 9 to October 12. You can catch one red snapper per day during this short but sweet season, helping protect the fish while still letting you enjoy the thrill of the catch.

## Abstract

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.

## Effects PRIA read

- Three-day recreational season (Oct 9–12, 2026): cost, medium. You can fish for red snapper in the South Atlantic exclusive economic zone from 12:01 a.m. local time on October 9, 2026 until 12:01 a.m. local time on October 12, 2026 — a 3-day recreational season. This announcement is the official opening and closing for the 2026 recreational sector.
- One-fish daily bag limit; no size limit: cost, low. During the recreational open season you may keep one red snapper per person per day. There is no recreational minimum or maximum size limit for red snapper during the open season.
- Zero possession after season closes: cost, low. After the recreational sector closure at 12:01 a.m. local time on October 12, 2026, the recreational bag and possession limits for red snapper in the South Atlantic EEZ are zero — you may not possess recreationally caught red snapper in Federal waters after the season closes.
- Commercial sector closed Aug 24–Dec 31, 2026: cost, high. The red snapper commercial sector in the South Atlantic EEZ closed on August 24, 2026 and remains closed through December 31, 2026. Commercial fishermen cannot harvest under the commercial sector during this closure period.
- State EFPs allow extended season (FL, GA, SC): benefit, medium. NMFS issued exempted fishing permits (EFPs) to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, and South Carolina Department of Natural Resources that allow participants to fish for red snapper under EFP terms from October 9, 2026 through October 22,…
- Recreational annual catch limit: 22,797 fish: cost, low. The South Atlantic recreational annual catch limit (ACL) for red snapper is 22,797 fish, and the length of the recreational season is being used as the accountability measure to constrain harvest to that ACL.

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## Sources
- [2026-19456 on federalregister.gov](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/09/23/2026-19456/fisheries-of-the-south-atlantic-2026-south-atlantic-red-snapper-recreational-fishing-season)
- [2026-19456 as published (PDF)](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-09-23/pdf/2026-19456.pdf)

## Related
- [Previous: 2026-19448, Revision of Freedom of Information Act Regulations](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-19448)
- [Next: 2026-19493, Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; Temporary Moratoria on Certain Agen…](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-19493)
- [All Federal Register documents](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-19456 (as of 2026-09-30).