More Red Grouper, Fewer Closures: Gulf Council’s New Recommendation for 2026 Reading Time: 2 minutes

Good news for Grouper fans! The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council just took final action on Reef Fish Amendment 62, recommending higher catch limits for Red Grouper and the removal of the February 1 – March 31 recreational shallow-water closure for all Grouper in federal waters beyond 20 fathoms.

A man posing with a Red Grouper he caught fishing aboard a charter in Florida.

The decision was announced on January 28, 2026, and the amendment is now headed to the Secretary of Commerce for review and implementation “as soon as practicable.”

If you fish the Gulf for Grouper, this is one of the more meaningful “more time on the water” developments we’ve seen in a while.

Here are the changes the Council approved for Red Grouper management:

  • Catch limits should increase, phased in over three years (rather than all at once).
  • The catch limits are split between two groups:
    • Commercial fishermen would get 68.2% of the catch limit quota.
    • Recreational anglers would get the remaining 31.8%.
  • The Council would keep the current buffers between sector ACLs (annual catch limits) and ACTs (annual catch targets). Buffers are there to prevent either of the two groups from exceeding catch quotas. They currently sit at 5% for commercial and 9% for recreational anglers.

Why now? The most recent stock assessment (SEDAR 88) found Red Grouper is not overfished and not experiencing overfishing, and the new catch advice supports a substantial increase from current limits.

The Big Quality-of-Life Change for Recreational Anglers

The Council also voted to eliminate the February 1–March 31 recreational closed season for all shallow-water Grouper in federal waters seaward of 20 fathoms.

In plain English: if this becomes final, that late-winter “nope” window beyond the 20-fathom line would go away – removing a regulatory hurdle that many anglers (and for-hire operations) have had to plan around for years.

The Council’s reasoning was straightforward: some of the species the closure was meant to protect no longer need that extra layer of protection (with Red Grouper being the obvious example), while other species are largely unaffected due to existing and planned regulations.

What Happens Next

Important detail: this is not in effect yet. The Council has taken final action, but the amendment still needs to go through federal review and implementation steps. For now, it’s best to treat this as recommended policy – not a rule you can fish under today.

What This Could Mean for Your Next Gulf Trip

A photo of a center console boat riding through the waters.

If the amendment goes through, anglers and businesses could see:

  • More opportunity to target Red Grouper (especially as catch limits step up).
  • Simpler seasonal planning for offshore winter trips beyond 20 fathoms.
  • Economic upside for the commercial sector – and likely some spillover benefits for the for-hire side whenever regulations become less restrictive.

How do you feel about the removal of the 20-fathom closure? Long overdue, or do you think it should’ve stayed in place a bit longer?

The post More Red Grouper, Fewer Closures: Gulf Council’s New Recommendation for 2026 appeared first on FishingBooker Blog.

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