Greater Amberjack regulations

Wrecks, towers and deep reefs. Live baits and vertical jigs. Short seasons, check before you go.

Applies to: state and adjacent federal waters · Licenses: State Reef Fish Survey participation is mandatory. Annual renewal.

Species / zone	Season	Size	Bag	Notes
Greater Amberjack Gulf boundary State and Federal waters	open now Open September 1 - October 13, 2026	Minimum Size Limit: 34” Fork Length	Daily Bag Limit: 1 per person	FWC issued an executive order to set the recreational 2026 greater amberjack season in Gulf state waters to Sept. 1 – Oct. 13, consistent with the Gulf federal season.
Greater Amberjack Atlantic boundary State and Federal waters	open now January–March and May–December. Closed April.	Minimum Size Limit: 28” Fork Length	Daily Bag Limit: 1 per person	Special regulations apply for this species when fishing in Biscayne National Park.
Lesser Amberjack and Banded Rudderfish Statewide boundary Atlantic and Gulf	open now Open year-round	Minimum Size Limits: Atlantic and Gulf - Cannot be less than 14" or greater than 22" fork length	Daily Recreational Bag Limit: Atlantic and Gulf - 5 per person aggregate of the two species	Legal Gear: spears, gigs, hook and line, seine, cast net. Reef fish gear requirements apply Bag limit is an aggregate of Lesser Amberjack and Banded Rudderfish.

Have you signed up for the State Reef Fish Survey yet? Participation mandatory. Annual renewal.

Source: FWC, extracted 2026-09-12. Review flags: The page lists 'Lesser Amberjack and Banded Rudderfish' together under State waters regulations with an aggregate bag limit. This has been combined into one rule entry.; Almaco jack is listed as an unregulated species with a default bag limit, but no specific size or season restrictions are provided on this page.

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Greater Amberjack regulations

Seasonal pattern

Forecasts by region