Can you keep the fish you catch in Islamorada?
Yes, within Florida’s size and bag limits. Snapper, mahi, kingfish, wahoo and blackfin tuna can be kept all year; black and red grouper from May to December. Redfish and snook have slot limits, and snook closed months. Tarpon and bonefish are catch and release only. Inside Everglades National Park, the park’s own 20-fish limit applies too.
Size limits, bag limits and seasons
On a charter the captain and crew may keep no mahi, black grouper or redfish, so the boat’s catch of those is the customers’. Federal water, beyond state waters on the Atlantic side, can differ; the captain fishes to whichever applies.
| Fish | Minimum size | Bag limit | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mahi-mahi (dolphin) | 20 in FL | 5 per person | Open all year |
| Yellowtail snapper | 12 in TL | 10, within the 10-snapper total | Open all year |
| Mutton snapper | 18 in TL | 5, within the 10-snapper total | Open all year |
| Mangrove (gray) snapper | 10 in TL (12 in federal water) | 5 in state water, within the 10-snapper total | Open all year |
| Black grouper | 24 in TL | 1 gag or black, within 3 grouper | May 1 to Dec 31 (closed Jan 1 to Apr 30) |
| Red grouper | 20 in TL | Up to 3, within 3 grouper | May 1 to Dec 31 (closed Jan 1 to Apr 30) |
| Gag grouper | 24 in TL | 1 gag or black, within 3 grouper | 2026 season was May 1 to Aug 1; closed now |
| Hogfish | 16 in FL | 1 per person | May 1 to Oct 31 |
| Greater amberjack | 28 in FL | 1 per person | Closed in April (Atlantic rules) |
| Kingfish (king mackerel) | 24 in FL | 3 per person in Monroe County | Open all year |
| Wahoo | None | 2 per person | Open all year |
| Blackfin tuna | None | 2 per person or 10 per boat, whichever is greater | Open all year |
| Cobia | 36 in FL | 1 per person or 2 per boat, whichever is less | Open all year |
| Sailfish | 63 in lower jaw to fork | 1 billfish per person | Open all year |
| Great barracuda | 15–36 in FL slot (1 over 36 in allowed) | 2 per person, 6 per boat | Open all year |
| Permit | 22 in FL | 1 per person, 2 per boat | Closed Apr 1 to Jul 31 (Special Permit Zone) |
| Snook | 28–33 in TL slot | 1 per person | Closed Dec 1 to end of Feb and May 1 to Sep 30 |
| Tarpon | — | Catch and release only | All year |
| Bonefish | — | Catch and release only | All year |
| Redfish (red drum) | 18–27 in TL slot | 1 per person, 2 per boat | Open all year (Southwest Region, which runs around the Keys) |
Inside Everglades National Park
Florida Bay trips from Islamorada often fish inside Everglades National Park, which adds its own rules on top of FWC’s: 20 fish per person, no more than 10 of one species, no lobster or queen conch, and catch and release only in Joe Bay and Snag Bay. See Florida Bay fishing.
Who measures and cleans
The crew. A Fishing Guru’s captain explains what is legal and fillets and bags anything kept; Shake N Bait says you can keep anything of legal size and its mate cleans and bags it. What happens to your fish covers Islamorada’s hook-and-cook restaurants.
Read for this page on 6 October 2026: FWC: saltwater recreational regulations ; NPS Everglades: fishing .
Check it at the source
- FWC — Recreational saltwater fishing regulations Current state size limits, bag limits and seasons, species by species. Link checked 6 September 2026
- FWC — Snapper regulations The reef fishery: yellowtail, mutton, mangrove and red snapper rules. Link checked 6 September 2026
- FWC — Grouper regulations Grouper seasons and limits, which differ between Atlantic and Gulf waters. Link checked 6 September 2026
What you can keep: questions
When is grouper season in Islamorada?
Black and red grouper can be kept from May 1 to December 31 and are closed from January 1 to April 30 in all Monroe County waters. Gag grouper has a shorter season set each year; in 2026 it ran May 1 to August 1.
Can you keep redfish in Islamorada?
Yes: one per person, two per boat, between 18 and 27 inches total length, open all year in FWC’s Southwest Region, which runs around the Keys. On a charter the captain and crew may keep none.
Can you keep snook in the Florida Keys?
One per person in a 28 to 33 inch slot, outside the closed months: snook are closed from December 1 to the end of February and from May 1 to September 30 under the FWC rules as they apply in the Keys.
Do I need a licence to keep fish on a charter?
No, on a licensed Florida charter the boat’s licence covers you. Everglades National Park requires a Florida saltwater licence under FWC’s rules, so if the trip enters the park, ask your captain how you are covered.
Next step
Looking for fishing trips in Islamorada?
Islamorada Charters Fishing is an independent guide — no boats, no bookings, nothing to sell. It exists so you can ask better questions before you hand an operator a deposit.
Islamorada Charters Fishing takes no bookings and earns nothing from a click. You book with the operator directly.