Here's When Red Snapper Season Closes in Federal Waters

AUSTIN, TX - The private recreational angler red snapper season in federal waters will close at 11:59 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 6., according to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. 

After the closing date, anglers may continue to harvest up to four red snappers per day with a 15-inch minimum length limit in Texas state waters out to nine nautical miles. 

Under an agreement between the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) and the National Marine Fisheries Service, TPWD can establish the opening and closing of the red snapper fishery in federal waters off the Texas Coast.

Texas is charged with closing the federal water fishery when the state’s allotted poundage is reached for the year, so TPWD uses catch data to determine the maximum length of a federal season. Texas attempts to keep state waters open all year by leaving enough poundage to cover the fishing from the closure of federal waters until the end of the year.  

The Sept. 6 closing date concludes a 98-day season in federal waters and permits state waters to remain open until the allotted poundage is reached.  

This year’s early arrival of tropical storms, as well as Hurricane Beryl’s impact on the Texas coast, reduced red snapper fishing opportunities for anglers during the early part of the federal season. The resulting decrease in red snapper landings earlier in the season allowed TPWD to keep the federal season open past the much-anticipated Labor Day Weekend.  

“The federal water season offered over three months of red snapper fishing opportunities to the people of Texas even though the storms clearly had an impact on anglers getting out to fish,”  said Robin Riechers, TPWD Coastal Fisheries Division Director. “We look forward to continuing to work with Texas’ saltwater anglers to maintain this important fishery and hopefully offer longer federal red snapper seasons in the future.” 

To estimate the state’s annual red snapper fishery harvest season, TPWD closely monitors federal red snapper landings through its creel survey program and mobile application. Anglers can continue to report snapper landings in state waters with TPWD’s mobile application, now called Texas Hunt & Fish.

The app has been updated for the 2024-25 license year, and updates to the app include a new logo and name, an updated app interface and digital tagging enhancements.  

For more information about the Texas Hunt & Fish App and how to use it, please visit: https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/hunt/hunt-harvest-app/