Georgia DNR opens 14-day recreational red snapper EFP season Oct. 9–22

Georgia private and for-hire anglers get a 14-day red snapper window under a new state Exempted Fishing Permit. Coastal Resources Division said NMFS issued the EFP allowing harvest in South Atlantic federal waters from Oct. 9 through Oct. 22, 2026. The bag limit is one red snapper per person per day, with no bag for charter captains or crew, and no minimum size under the EFP. Trips must begin and end at a Georgia landing site.

Private anglers need a valid Georgia recreational license and Saltwater Information Program permit, plus VESL electronic reporting: declare the trip before leaving, carry the authorization code, and file a catch report within 24 hours of departure. Unreported trips block the next EFP trip. The project harvest limit is 4,859 fish; CRD and NMFS will review landings afterward and could authorize a December second season if fish remain.

CRD frames 2026 as an experimental year to test state-led effort and catch data for longer-term management. Federally permitted for-hire vessels keep using existing electronic logbooks. All other applicable federal snapper-grouper rules still apply. Updates and registration details are posted at GeorgiaRedSnapper.com.

This is a The Gillnet news desk summary, not a reprint.

Source: Georgia DNR Coastal Resources Division announcement via Grice Connect (Sept. 25, 2026); EFP details also summarized by CRD for the Oct. 9–22 season.