South Carolina red snapper EFP is Oct. 9–22: one fish, 20 inches

South Carolina’s recreational red snapper season under its exempted fishing permit runs October 9 through October 22. SCDNR’s season page lists one fish per person per day and a 20-inch minimum. The NOAA permit issued to the department sets that minimum as 20 inches total length and caps the project at 8,695 fish, the harvest NMFS projects for those 14 days. Captain and crew on a charter or headboat have a bag of zero. Trips have to begin and end in South Carolina. Fish kept on the permit are not added on top of the three-day federal season.

The experimental permit is free, and it is not automatic. On or after Oct. 2, anglers who already hold a valid South Carolina saltwater fishing license or privilege pick it up in the GoOutdoorsSC app or at GoOutdoorsSC.com. SCDNR then emails instructions for the free VESL app. Anyone who plans to keep a red snapper has to declare the trip in VESL — as early as five days ahead — and file a catch report within 24 hours of finishing. Another trip cannot be declared until that report is in.

Snapper-grouper gear rules still apply: a descending device rigged and ready with at least 60 feet of line and 16 ounces of weight, non-offset non-stainless circle hooks, and a dehooking tool. Under the permit, anglers have to use the descending device when they release a red snapper showing barotrauma. The project exists to collect catch and effort, including fish that go back. Questions go to redsnapper@dnr.sc.gov.

Photo: South Carolina DNR.

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

Source: SCDNR — 2026 South Carolina recreational red snapper season. Permit terms: NOAA Fisheries — SCDNR exempted fishing permit (PDF) (Sept. 21, 2026).