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Starting tomorrow, December 15, the recreational harvest of snook in Florida will close in all Atlantic coastal and inland waters, including Lake Okeechobee and the Kissimmee River. Snook season will reopen in Atlantic state and federal waters on February 1, 2012.
At the same time, snook season remains closed in Gulf of Mexico state and federal waters through August 31, 2012, a decision made by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) during its June meeting. The prolonged cold weather during the 2009-10 winter and its affects on snook numbers have been cited for the closure.
The extended Gulf harvest closure is designed to help protect snook populations this winter, when they are most vulnerable to cold weather, while at the same time giving snook added protection during next spring and summer's spawning months. The belief is that the closures will allow the snook populations to rebuild to manageable levels.
Anglers may still catch and release snook during the harvest closure, and the FWC encourages everyone to handle and release these fish carefully to help ensure their survival upon release. Snook regulations apply to snook harvested in both state and federal waters off of Florida, and no person shall possess any snook caught during the snook closed seasons.
For more information on snook management in Florida, visit visit MyFWC.com/Fishing and click on Saltwater Fishing, Recreational Regulations and Snook.