Snook closes December 1 in the Florida Keys: why Islamorada follows FWC’s Southwest rules

Snook harvest in the Florida Keys closes on Tuesday, December 1, 2026. When we checked on October 21, 2026, 41 days of the fall open window remained, counting the check date. The date trips people up because FWC splits the state into snook regions with different closed seasons. We read FWC’s snook regulations page to pin down which one applies here.

Why the Keys use Southwest rules

FWC places the Florida Keys in its Southwest snook region, which it says runs from near Vanderbilt Beach Rd in Collier County through the Florida Keys to the Monroe/Miami-Dade line. The Village says Islamorada sits in the middle of the Florida Keys, between MM 90.0 and MM 72.6, so it is inside that region.

• FWC places the Florida Keys in its Southwest snook region, which runs from near Vanderbilt Beach Rd in Collier County through the Florida Keys to the Monroe/Miami-Dade line. FWC: Snook recreational regulations
• The Village says Islamorada sits in the middle of the Florida Keys, between Mile Marker 90.0 and Mile Marker 72.6 on U.S. Highway 1. Islamorada, Village of Islands: Why Islamorada Matters

FWC’s Atlantic or Southeast region closes on different dates, and a page written for it will give you the wrong season for the Keys. We do not print those dates here so they cannot be mixed up. If a chart, app or tackle shop sign shows a December closure date other than December 1, check which region it is for.

Closed and open windows

• Open now: October 1 to November 30. The last open day this fall is Monday, November 30, 2026.
• Closed: December 1 to the end of February. This winter that is Tuesday, December 1, 2026 through Sunday, February 28, 2027, 90 days by our count.
• Open: March 1 to April 30. In 2027 that is Monday, March 1 through Friday, April 30, 61 days.
• Closed: May 1 to September 30.

• In the Southwest region FWC closes snook harvest December 1 to the end of February and May 1 to September 30, with a 28 to 33 inch slot and 1 fish per person per day. FWC: Snook recreational regulations

Added up across 2027, the Southwest windows leave snook harvest open on 122 of 365 days by our count, and closed on the other 243. FWC’s notes, as our season records carry them, say catch and release in the closed season still needs a license and a snook permit. The season and date checker shows the status on any date.

Slot, limit and permit

In the Southwest region FWC sets a 28 to 33 inch slot and 1 fish per person per day. You need a snook permit plus a recreational fishing license, including when fishing from shore, and snook may be taken by hook and line, nothing else. Youth under 16 are exempt from the license and the snook permit.

• FWC requires a snook permit plus a recreational fishing license, including for shoreline fishing; hook and line only. FWC: Snook recreational regulations
• FWC exempts youth under 16 from recreational fishing licenses and snook and lobster permits. FWC: Do I need a license or permit?

FWC lists the snook permit at $10.00 a year, in addition to a saltwater license, and non-resident saltwater licenses at $17.00 for 3 days, $30.00 for 7 days and $47.00 annual. By our arithmetic a visitor on a 7-day license plus the permit pays $40.00. FWC lists the no-cost shoreline-only license as a resident license, and it did not list a non-resident shoreline option when we checked, which we mark as not confirmed. Do not assume fishing from a bridge or a beach is free of license rules.

• FWC lists a snook permit at $10.00 a year and a spiny lobster permit at $5.00 a year, both in addition to a saltwater license. FWC: Recreational Saltwater Licenses & Permits
• FWC lists non-resident saltwater fishing licenses at $47.00 annual, $17.00 for 3 days and $30.00 for 7 days. FWC: Recreational Saltwater Licenses & Permits
• FWC lists a Resident Annual Saltwater Shoreline-Only license at no cost; it is not valid from a vessel, from a shoreline reached by vessel, or when swimming or diving. FWC: Recreational Saltwater Licenses & Permits
• FWC's license page lists the no-cost shoreline-only saltwater license as a resident license; it did not list a non-resident shoreline option when we checked on October 21, 2026. FWC: Recreational Saltwater Licenses & Permits

Tarpon: release, and keep big fish in the water

FWC says tarpon is a catch-and-release only fishery. Tarpon over 40 inches must remain in the water unless the angler is pursuing a record with a tarpon tag. FWC allows one tag per person per year when pursuing a Florida state or world record, and lists the annual tag at $51.50, sold at tax collector’s offices, with no exemptions.

• FWC says tarpon is a catch-and-release only fishery; one tarpon tag per person per year may be bought when pursuing a Florida state or world record. FWC: Tarpon recreational regulations
• FWC says tarpon over 40 inches must remain in the water unless the angler is pursuing a record with a tarpon tag. FWC: Tarpon recreational regulations
• FWC lists the annual tarpon tag at $51.50, available at tax collector's offices only, with no exemptions. FWC: Recreational Saltwater Licenses & Permits

To see tarpon up close without a rod, Robbie’s posts tarpon feeding at $2.50 per person and $5 per bucket of fish, with the tarpon dock open daily 7 am to 9 pm. Robbie’s does not say whether tarpon are there every month, which we mark as not confirmed.

• Robbie's posts tarpon feeding admission at $2.50 per person and $5 per bucket of fish; the tarpon dock is open daily 7 am to 9 pm. Robbie's of Islamorada: Feed the Tarpon
• Robbie's posts tarpon feeding prices and dock hours but does not say whether tarpon are present every month of the year. Robbie's of Islamorada: Feed the Tarpon

Bonefish: release, all year

FWC says bonefish became a catch-and-release only fishery effective September 1, 2013, which makes 13 years as of this fall. It says bonefish can be caught year-round in the Keys, with peak season generally March through October. By our count 11 days of that peak window were left on the check date, running alongside the last weeks of the snook fall window.

• FWC says bonefish became a catch-and-release only fishery effective September 1, 2013. FWC: Bonefish
• FWC says bonefish can be caught year-round in the Keys, with peak season generally March through October. FWC: Bonefish

On a charter

FWC exempts anglers saltwater fishing from a for-hire vessel, such as a guide, charter or party boat, with a valid charter license. FWC also says that if you cast a line, even to catch and release, you need a fishing license. Our research did not record whether the charter exemption covers the snook permit, so ask your captain.

• FWC exempts anglers saltwater fishing from a for-hire vessel (guide, charter, party boat) with a valid charter license. FWC: Do I need a license or permit?
• FWC says that if you cast a line or catch and release, you need a fishing license. FWC: Do I need a license or permit?

Check before you go

Rules change, sometimes by executive order. Read the FWC page again before you go, and if this page and FWC disagree, follow FWC. FWC closed Atlantic state waters to recreational gag grouper by executive order starting August 2, which shows how fast a season can change. The fishing page lists every FWC window we track, and the mile-marker guide helps you find the bridges and shorelines by number.

• FWC lists the Atlantic gag grouper season as May 1 to August 1, and issued an executive order closing Atlantic state waters to recreational gag harvest starting August 2. FWC: Groupers recreational regulations

Snook and fishing questions

Written by the Islamorada Guide Editorial Team. Some content may be AI-generated. People check every fact before it publishes.

Dates, rules and hours can change. The organisers have the final word: Village of Islamorada (official site)