Gulf greater amberjack gets 43 recreational days, then a hard close

NOAA Fisheries bulletin FB26-029 set the 2026–27 recreational season for greater amberjack in Gulf federal waters: open Sept. 1, 2026, through 12:01 a.m. local time Oct. 14. That is 43 days, up from 26 days in 2025. Bag limit is one fish per person per day. Minimum size is 34 inches fork length.

The recreational annual catch limit is 404,000 pounds. The annual catch target is 335,320 pounds. NOAA closes when that target is met or projected to be met. Managers projected the target on Oct. 14. After that close, bag and possession are zero in Gulf federal waters until the next season opens Sept. 1, 2027. Federally permitted charter and headboats carry that possession ban into Gulf state waters too.

A longer window is still a quota fishery on an overfished stock. Measure fork length on the fish, not the story at the dock. Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission aligned Gulf state waters to the same Sept. 1–Oct. 13 dates.

This is a The Gillnet news desk summary, not a reprint.

Source: NOAA Fisheries, Recreational Fishing Season Length Announcement for Greater Amberjack in Federal Waters of the Gulf of America (FB26-029), June 1, 2026. See also Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council reprint and FWC amberjack page.