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Go Directly to CRD's Official Red Snapper EFP Page ↗️
Key Messages
- Georgia’s red snapper season runs Oct. 9–22, 2026, in South Atlantic federal waters.
- The daily bag limit is one red snapper per person. No minimum size.
- Private anglers must use VESL to authorize trips and report catches within 24 hours.
- The pilot will test state-led data collection and could allow an additional December season.
Georgia recreational anglers will have 14 days to harvest red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus) in federal waters this October under a newly issued Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) that will also test a new state-led system for collecting recreational fishing data.
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) on Monday issued the EFP to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR), allowing participating anglers to harvest red snapper in South Atlantic federal waters from Oct. 9 through Oct. 22, 2026.
The daily bag limit is one red snapper per person, with no bag allowance for captains or crew aboard charter or headboats. There is no minimum size for harvested fish. Fishing trips conducted under the EFP must begin and end at a landing location in Georgia.
“This is an important opportunity for Georgia anglers and an important step toward improving how we collect information about our recreational red snapper fishery,” said Doug Haymans, director of DNR’s Coastal Resources Division (CRD). “Georgia anglers have asked for greater access to this fishery, and this permit gives us an opportunity to provide that access while testing a system designed to produce better information about fishing effort, catch and releases.”
The EFP establishes a harvest limit of 4,859 red snapper. After the October season, CRD and NMFS will review harvest information to determine whether additional fish remain available. If so, a second season could be authorized in December.
Private Anglers Must Register and Report
Participation is open to private anglers with a valid Georgia recreational fishing license and Saltwater Information Program Permit, as well as appropriately permitted charter vessels and headboats.
Private anglers participating in the EFP must use VESL, an electronic reporting application developed by Bluefin Data LLC. Before leaving on a fishing trip, each participating private angler must use VESL to declare the trip and receive a unique trip authorization code. That code must be available for inspection by law enforcement while fishing.
Anglers must then submit a completed trip report through VESL no later than 24 hours after the trip's departure time. Reports will include the number of red snapper caught, kept and released, including whether released fish were alive or dead.
An angler who has not completed the required report will not be eligible to begin another EFP fishing trip until the outstanding report is submitted.
Federally permitted charter and headboat operators will continue reporting through the existing federal for-hire electronic reporting program.
A New Approach to Red Snapper Data
The EFP is designed as a pilot project to evaluate state-led electronic data collection and help determine whether the approach can support longer-term management of the recreational red snapper fishery.
CRD will collect information on fishing effort, landings and discarded red snapper and provide weekly reports to NMFS during the season. The state will also work with NMFS scientists to evaluate the survey design, estimation methods and performance of the new reporting system.
The 2026 project is considered an experimental year focused on developing and testing the system. Results will be evaluated to identify improvements for future data collection and management.
During November, harvest of red snapper will not be allowed under the EFP. However, participating private anglers are asked to voluntarily continue declaring offshore fishing trips and reporting any red snapper they catch and release. Those data will help CRD better understand red snapper encounters outside the harvest season.
“This is more than an additional fishing opportunity,” Haymans said. “What we learn from Georgia anglers this fall can help us build a better system for the future. That makes participation and accurate reporting critical to the success of the project.” This project is supported by a grant from Yamaha Rightwaters.
All other applicable federal fishing regulations remain in effect.
CRD will release additional information before the season explaining how anglers can register for the program, use VESL, obtain trip authorization codes and comply with the EFP requirements. Visit CRD’s official EFP website at GeorgiaRedSnapper.com for updates and more information.
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