Mississippi’s recreational red snapper season will reopen for Labor Day weekend, giving anglers another opportunity to harvest the popular fish after the state’s regular summer season ended in July.
The season will reopen at 12:01 a.m. Friday, Sept. 4, and remain open through 11:59 p.m. Monday, Sept. 7, for private recreational anglers and state-for-hire vessels.
Anglers reeling in red snapper in Mississippi may keep two fish per person per day, with a minimum size limit of 16 inches.
If sufficient pounds remain on Mississippi’s private recreational annual catch limit, or ACL, the season will continue on weekends only until the ACL is projected to be reached.
The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources said the season will be open in both state and federal waters. Private recreational anglers may fish as far as 200 nautical miles offshore, while vessels with state-for-hire permits may fish in state territorial waters, which extend nine nautical miles south of the barrier islands.
The season will close or remain closed if the Gulf-wide red snapper quota is reached.
The reopening comes after Mississippi’s regular 2026 red snapper season, which ran from May 22 through July 5.
READ MORE: Mississippi congressman introduces bill that would make red snapper fishing ‘more fun’
Meanwhile, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recently announced the following additional Gulf fishing seasons:
- Gray triggerfish: Aug. 1 through Dec. 31
- Greater amberjack: Sept. 1 through Oct. 13
- Gag grouper: Sept. 1 through Sept. 30
DMR is also reminding anglers that, in addition to the mandatory red snapper reporting requirements, every licensed angler aboard a vessel must have a valid Mississippi Recreational Landing Permit to possess and land reef fish and cobia in Mississippi.
More information about the permit and registration requirements is available through DMR’s website.