Charter boats across the Alabama Gulf Coast now know their window for the 2020 federal red snapper season.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced that the 2020 Red Snapper Recreational For-Hire season will open June 1 and run 62 days, closing at 12:01 a.m. local time on August 2. The dates apply to federally permitted for-hire vessels — the charter operations that carry paying anglers out of ports like Orange Beach, Dauphin Island, and Gulf Shores.
Private Anglers Set Their Own Dates
Unlike the charter fleet, private recreational anglers are not bound by the federal calendar: each Gulf state decides its own private-angler season dates at its discretion. Alabama has in recent years run state seasons that extend well past the federal window.
How the Quota Breaks Down
Under the framework set by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, the total recreational red snapper quota stands at 7,399,000 pounds whole weight. Of that, 57 percent is allocated to private anglers and 42.3 percent to the for-hire component.
The announcement gives charter operators certainty as they book summer trips for one of the Gulf’s most popular — and most closely managed — fisheries.