- Open
Red snapper
Private boats, shore anglers and state-licensed Alabama charter boats
Open today. Scheduled last day: Thu, Dec 31, 2026 (unless closed early).
- Bag limit
- 2 per person, per day
- Size limit
- 16 inches total length minimum
- Waters
- Alabama state waters and federal waters
- 2026 season dates
- May 22, 2026 – Dec 31, 2026
Open 7 days a week until the end of 2026 or until Alabama's 664,552-pound quota is met, whichever comes first. ADCNR says it will announce a closure date if the quota is expected to be met; none was posted on its notices page when we last checked.
Note: Quota-driven: can close early on short notice.
Sources (2)
- ADCNR: Red Snapper Season Opens 7 Days a Week Starting May 22 (Apr. 20, 2026) — checked Nov 9, 2026
- ADCNR Saltwater Season Closures, Notices and Updates — checked Nov 9, 2026
- Closed
Red snapper
Boats with a federal for-hire (charter/headboat) reef fish permit
Closed today. The next season has not been announced.
- Bag limit
- 2 per person
- Size limit
- 16 inches total length minimum
- Waters
- Federal waters
- 2026 season dates
- Jun 1, 2026 – Oct 25, 2026
NOAA Fisheries set a 147-day season: 12:01 a.m. June 1 to 12:01 a.m. October 26, 2026.
Sources (2)
- ADCNR Saltwater Season Closures, Notices and Updates — checked Nov 9, 2026
- Gulf Council 2026 Recreational Fishing Season Calendar (bag and size) — checked Nov 9, 2026
- Open
Gray triggerfish
Recreational anglers
Open today. Scheduled last day: Thu, Dec 31, 2026 (unless closed early).
- Bag limit
- 1 per person
- Size limit
- 15 inches fork length minimum
- Waters
- Alabama state waters and federal waters (state waters open when federal waters are open)
- 2026 season dates
- Mar 1, 2026 – May 31, 2026; Aug 1, 2026 – Dec 31, 2026
Closed every year in January–February and June–July. Open the rest of the year unless NOAA Fisheries closes it early for the catch limit; no 2026 early-closure notice was posted when we last checked.
Note: Can close early if the federal catch limit is reached.
Sources (2)
- ADCNR Saltwater Season Closures, Notices and Updates — checked Nov 9, 2026
- Gulf Council 2026 Recreational Fishing Season Calendar — checked Nov 9, 2026
- Closed
Greater amberjack
Recreational anglers
Closed today. The next season has not been announced.
- Bag limit
- 1 per person, per day
- Size limit
- 34 inches fork length minimum
- Waters
- Alabama state waters and federal waters (state waters open when federal waters are open)
- 2026 season dates
- Sep 1, 2026 – Oct 13, 2026
43-day federal season, September 1 to 12:01 a.m. October 14, 2026. NOAA says recreational harvest stays closed until the 2027/2028 season opens September 1, 2027.
Sources (2)
- NOAA Fisheries FB26-029: Season Length Announcement for Greater Amberjack (June 1, 2026) — checked Nov 9, 2026
- ADCNR Saltwater Season Closures, Notices and Updates — checked Nov 9, 2026
- Closed
Gag grouper
Recreational anglers
Closed today. The next season has not been announced.
- Bag limit
- 2 per person (within the 4-grouper combined limit) — federal limit
- Size limit
- 24 inches total length minimum — federal limit
- Waters
- Alabama state waters and federal waters (state waters open when federal waters are open)
- 2026 season dates
- Sep 1, 2026 – Sep 30, 2026
Federal season ran 12:01 a.m. September 1 to 12:01 a.m. October 1, 2026, when NOAA projected the catch target would be reached. The 2027 season has not been announced.
Note: Bag and size shown are the federal limits from the Gulf Council 2026 calendar; ADCNR's notice does not restate them.
Sources (3)
- NOAA Fisheries FB26-024: 2026 Gag Recreational Season (May 20, 2026) — checked Nov 9, 2026
- ADCNR Saltwater Season Closures, Notices and Updates — checked Nov 9, 2026
- Gulf Council 2026 Recreational Fishing Season Calendar (bag and size) — checked Nov 9, 2026
- Check ADCNR
Red grouper
Recreational anglers
We could not verify the current season from an official notice. Check ADCNR before you keep one.
- Bag limit
- 2 per person (within the 4-grouper combined limit) — federal limit
- Size limit
- 20 inches total length minimum — federal limit
- Waters
- Federal waters (check ADCNR for Alabama state waters)
- 2026 season dates
- Not verified — check ADCNR
The Gulf Council's 2026 calendar marks a pending framework action that may close the season. We could not confirm the current 2026 status from an official notice, so we do not show open or closed.
Sources (1)
- Gulf Council 2026 Recreational Fishing Season Calendar — checked Nov 9, 2026
What every Alabama reef fish trip needs
Per ADCNR: anglers 16 and older need an Alabama saltwater fishing license, or the free saltwater angler registration if they are an Alabama resident 65 or older or hold a lifetime license. Anyone 16 or older keeping Gulf reef fish also needs the Alabama Gulf Reef Fish Endorsement. Red snapper, gray triggerfish and greater amberjack landings are reported through Snapper Check, one report per vessel trip, before the fish come off the boat.
State-licensed Alabama party boats without a federal for-hire permit follow the state red snapper season and may fish only inside the 9-mile state waters line. Boats with a federal for-hire reef fish permit follow the federal for-hire season, and NOAA’s 2026 amberjack and gag notices say the federal closures apply to those boats in state waters too.
Headed out? Pull numbers from our free Alabama reef finder and check the live buoy and marine forecast.
Official sources
- ADCNR Saltwater Season Closures, Notices and Updates
- Gulf Council 2026 Recreational Fishing Season Calendar (PDF)
- NOAA Fisheries Southeast Region bulletins — or text GULFRECFISH to 888777 for NOAA’s Gulf recreational closure alerts.