LDWF Secretary Madison Sheahan signed a Declaration of Emergency to reopen the recreational Red Snapper season seven days a week beginning at 12:01 a.m. Monday, August 19. The season will then remain open until further notice. LDWF Fisheries staff estimate that Louisiana’s remaining quota will allow fishing through Labor Day weekend and perhaps beyond. The daily bag limit will remain at four fish per angler.
The latest private recreational Red Snapper landing estimates through August 4, 2024, indicate that 747,373 pounds, or 80% percent, of Louisiana’s 2024 annual private recreational allocation of 934,587 pounds have been harvested during the 2024 Red Snapper season.
The private recreational Red Snapper season opened earlier than usual on Monday, April 15, in both state and federal waters. From July 7- 11, the season temporarily closed and then reopened on July 12 as a weekends-only (Friday-Sunday) season.
“Thanks to LA Creel, Louisiana’s landings data collection program, LDWF’s ability to actively manage Red Snapper allows us to quickly adjust the season so we can manage our Red Snapper quota for the maximum benefit of our anglers,” said LDWF Assistant Secretary of Fisheries Ryan Montegut.
For more information on the 2024 Red Snapper season and detailed landing estimates, visit https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/page/red-snapper.
Resident and Non-Resident Recreational Anglers:
- Must possess valid Louisiana basic and Saltwater Recreational Fishing Licenses and a Recreational Offshore Landing Permit(no cost) to fish for or possess Red Snapper and other offshore and reef fish species.
- Anglers can get a ROLP via the ROLP website: https://ldwf.wlf.la.gov/rolp/loginchoice?ReturnUrl=%2Frolp
- Once anglers have registered, they can save an electronic copy on their mobile device or print a copy of the ROLP indicating their valid ROLP and carry it on their person along with applicable licenses while fishing offshore.
State For-Hire Charter Vessels:
- State for-hire charter captains (those who do not have a federal Gulf of Mexico charter/headboat permit for reef fish) are not allowed to fish in federal waters.
- Must also possess a ROLP (no cost) to fish for or possess Red Snapper, as well as other offshore and reef fish species.
- May only fish for Red Snapper in state waters (within the 9 nautical miles state water boundary), when the Louisiana recreational Red Snapper season is open.
Federal For-Hire Charter Vessels:
- Vessels with federal reef fish for-hire permits will remain under federal regulations and may only fish in federal waters during the federal season, which opened June 1 with a 2 fish-per-person bag limit.
- Federal for-hire season closes August 28
- If a federal for-hire charter captain also holds a Louisiana charter license, he/she may also fish state waters, but only when the federal for-hire charter season overlaps with the Louisiana season. When the federal for-hire season closes, the federal for-hire captain may not fish state waters.
LDWF encourages anglers to reduce barotrauma while fishing for Red Snapper and other reef fish by using descending devices to return fish to a survivable depth before being released. Please see the LDWF website at https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/page/barotrauma for more information. Federal regulations require that anglers have a descending device or venting tool rigged and ready for use while fishing for reef fish in federal waters.