The 2024 private recreational Red Snapper season begins Monday, April 15, 2024, in both state and federal waters. The season will run seven days a week with a daily bag limit of four fish per person and a 16-inch total minimum length limit.
The season will remain open until recreational landings approach or reach Louisiana’s annual private recreational allocation of 934,587 pounds.
Resident and Non-Resident Recreational Anglers:
- Must have valid Louisiana basic and Saltwater Recreational Fishing Licenses as well as a Recreational Offshore Landing Permit (no fee) to fish for or possess Red Snapper, as well as other offshore species.
- Anglers can obtain ROLP through the ROLP website. Once you have registered, save an electronic copy to your mobile device or print a copy of your ROLP indicating your valid ROLP and carry it on your person along with the applicable licenses while fishing offshore.
- Anglers on a paid charter trip, do not need an ROLP, but an ROLP is required for Charter Captains.
- Recreational anglers aboard vessels fishing for or possessing Gulf reef fish in the Gulf of Mexico must have onboard and use (1) a non-stainless steel circle hook, (2) a dehooking device, and ( 3) a downward device or venting tool. Additional information about these requirements can be found on the LDWF website or in the printed version of the 2024 Louisiana Recreational Fishing Regulations.
State For-Hire Charter Vessels:
- State for-hire charter captains (those without a federal Gulf of Mexico charter/headboat permit for reef fish) are not allowed to fish in federal waters.
- A Recreational Offshore Landing Permit (free) must also be obtained to fish or possess Red Snapper, as well as other offshore species.
- Red Snapper may only be fished in state waters (within the nine nautical mile boundary established for reef fish), when the recreational Red Snapper season is open in Louisiana.
Federal For-Hire Charter Vessels:
- Vessels with federal reef fish for-hire permits remain subject to federal regulations and may only fish during federally established seasons.
- Can only be fished in federal waters during the federal for-hire season – Check the Gulf Council website for dates in the coming weeks.
- If a federal for-hire charter captain also holds a Louisiana charter license, he may also fish in state waters only when the federal for-hire charter season overlaps with the Louisiana season.
All recreational offshore anglers will be subject to periodic, random LA Creel dockside surveys and associated phone/email effort surveys, as has been the case since 2014 when LA Creel began. Although these surveys are voluntary, we strongly encourage your participation, as they will be the primary method for tracking yield. The accuracy and reliability of yield estimates depends on angler participation in the LA Creel, so LDWF needs as many anglers as possible to complete both dockside and phone/email surveys.
Red Snapper anglers will also have the option to electronically report their catch through the ROLP mobile and desktop versions of the ROLP website. LDWF hopes that the voluntary use of electronic reporting will provide the Department with a larger sample size than standard dockside and telephone sampling, potentially improving the quality of recreational landings data to make management recommendations. in the future. If you have opted in to voluntary electronic reporting, you may also be contacted to participate in LA Creel.
LDWF also encourages anglers to reduce barotrauma while fishing for Red Snapper and other reef fish by using descending gear to return fish to viable depths before release. Please see the LDWF website at https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/page/barotrauma for more information.
For additional questions about the upcoming red snapper season or voluntary electronic reporting, please refer to our FAQs.
