Current through Reg. 50, No. 187; September 24, 2024
(1) The open season
for fishing shall be from July 1 until June 30 of the following year, except as
otherwise provided by these rules.
(2) This rule does not apply to game fish
lawfully acquired for aquarium use in accordance with Rule
68A-23.009, F.A.C.
(3) No person shall have in his possession
more than two days' bag limit of freshwater game fish. In any water body where
there are specific regulations as to bag limits, minimum length, maximum
length, or protected length limits for any species, which are different from
the general regulations, the specific regulations supersede the general
provisions of this rule section.
(4) Bag or length limits for lakes designated
as Fish Management Areas shall be as specified in Rules
68A-20.004 and
68A-20.005, F.A.C.
(5) Bag or length limits for lakes within
designated boundaries of Wildlife Management Areas shall be as specified in
Rules 68A-15.061,
68A-15.062,
68A-15.063,
68A-15.064,
68A-15.065, F.A.C.
(6) State-wide bag limits: Except as
otherwise provided in these rules, no person shall take in any one day more
than the following:
(a) Five (5) black bass,
of which only one may be 16 inches or longer in total length.
(b) Twenty-five (25) crappie.
(c) Fifty (50) in the aggregate for all other
panfish.
(d) Two (2) butterfly
peacock bass, only one (1) of which can be greater than 17 inches total length.
No person shall kill or possess any speckled peacock bass.
(e) American Eels must be nine inches or
greater in total length for recreational and commercial harvest. The
recreational bag limit for American Eels is twenty five (25) per angler per
day.
Wholesale/Retail purchase exemption. Recreational anglers
purchasing American eel as bait may possess more than the legal bag limit
provided that the eels were purchased from a licensed dealer. The burden shall
be upon the person claiming the benefit of this exemption to show, by receipts,
bills of sale, or other appropriate documentation, that such fish were
purchased from a licensed wholesale or retail dealer.
(7) In that portion of the state
north and west of the Suwannee River (including in the Suwannee River and in
any tributary river, creek or stream of the Suwannee River), bag or length
limits are as follows:
(a) Black bass - no
person shall kill or possess any Suwannee Bass, Shoal Bass, Spotted Bass, or
Choctaw Bass that is less than 12 inches in total length.
(b) Striped bass, white bass, or sunshine
bass - In all areas other than the lower Ochlockonee and associated tributaries
downstream of the Jackson Bluff Dam, no person shall kill or possess more than
3 striped bass nor any striped bass less than 18 inches total length. On the
lower Ochlockonee and associated tributaries downstream of the Jackson Bluff
Dam, no person shall kill or possess more than 3 striped bass only one of which
may be greater than 24 inches. The daily aggregate bag limit of white bass,
striped bass and sunshine bass shall be 20.
(c) Lake Seminole (Northwest Florida) - see
Rule 68A-23.0131, F.A.C., for bag or
length limits for certain freshwater game fishes.
(d) Lake Talquin (including that portion of
the Ochlockonee River lying between Lake Talquin and the railroad trestle that
is located immediately below US Highway 90, that portion of the Little River
lying between Lake Talquin and County Road 268, that portion of the Rocky
Comfort Creek lying between Lake Talquin and County Road 65-B, and that portion
of Bear Creek lying between Lake Talquin and Bear Creek Road, those portions of
Ocklawaha and Hammock creeks lying between Lake Talquin and State Road 267,
those portions of Blount's, Freeman [Stoutamire], and Harvey and Polk creeks
lying between Lake Talquin and State Road 20): No person shall kill or possess
any crappie less than 10 inches in total length.
(e) Chipola River and its tributaries: No
person shall kill or possess any Shoal Bass on the Chipola River or its
tributaries. Any Shoal Bass that are caught must be released
immediately.
(8) In that
portion of the state south and east of the Suwannee River, bag or length limits
or areas closed to fishing are as follows:
(a)
Striped bass and sunshine bass - the daily aggregate bag limit of striped bass
and sunshine bass shall be 20, no more than 6 of which may be more than 24
inches total length.
(b) Fishing is
prohibited in Silver Glen Springs in Lake and Marion counties and in Salt
Springs in Marion County and within 50 yards of the springs. Fishing is
prohibited from the headwaters of Rainbow Springs to a point one mile
downstream on Rainbow River within Marion County.
(c) No person shall kill or possess any black
bass in the following areas:
1. In Wildcat
Lake within the boundaries of the Ocala National Forest.
2. In the St. Johns River Water Management
Area, in Indian River and Brevard counties (commonly known as Farm-13 and
including the Stickmarsh).
3. In
the St. Johns River Water Management-owned area formerly known as the S.N.
Knight Farm in Indian River County (commonly known as Kenansville
Reservoir).
4. In the St. Johns
River Water Management-owned area in Indian River County known as Fellsmere
Water Management Area (commonly known as Headwaters Lake and Egan
Lake).
(d) Lake
Okeechobee - defined as any point lakeward of a boundary line delineated by the
following points: Intersection of St. Rd. 78 and US 441, US 441 SE to St. Rd. 5
("80") St. Rd. 5 ("80") to St. Rd. 25 (US 27) St. Rd. 25 (US 27) to St. Rd. 78
St. Rd. 78 to US 441 Including: Harney Pond Canal (C-41) north of St. Rd. 78 to
South Florida Water Mgmnt. District (SFWMD) structure S-71 C-41-A Canal,
southeast of the S-84 structure Indian Prairie Canal (C-40) north of St. Rd. 78
to SFWMD structure S-72 All of Taylor Creek and Nubbin Slough in Okeechobee
County C-38/Kissimmee River south of SFWMD structure S-65E to St. Rd. 78, All
of L-50 Canal in Glades County, Fisheating Creek to US 27, All of Sportsman's
Canal (LD-3) in Glades County. No person shall kill or possess any crappie less
than ten inches (10'') in total length.
(9) An angler participating in the
TrophyCatch Program may temporarily possess in live condition one largemouth
bass, 8 pounds or greater, over the legal length limit and bag limit in order
to obtain photographic or video documentation of the fish. All largemouth bass
retained for this purpose must be released alive into the waterbody in which it
was caught immediately after documentation.
(10) An angler may possess one largemouth
bass 16.5 pounds or greater, per day over the legal length or bag limit when
submitting for the certification of a potential state record provided they
contact the Commission at this link (https://myfwc.wufoo.com/forms/potential-state-record-largemouth-bass/).
Largemouth Bass maintained in live condition may only be possessed on the
waterbody or adjacent shore from which the fish was caught and may only be
released alive in the same waterbody, unless otherwise directed by Commission
staff.
Rulemaking Authority Art. IV, Sec. 9, Fla. Const. Law
Implemented Art. IV, Sec. 9, Fla.
Const.
New 8-1-79, Amended 5-19-80, 6-4-81, 6-21-82, 7-1-83,
Formerly 39-23.05, Amended 2-27-86, 5-10-87, 3-1-88, 4-13-88, 7-1-89, 4-11-90,
7-1-92, 8-23-92, 4-20-93, 7-1-94, 9-15-94, 4-1-96, 7-1-98, 10-20-98, Formerly
39-23.005, Amended 7-1-00, 7-1-01, 7-1-04, 7-1-05, 7-1-06, 7-1-08, 7-1-11,
5-22-13, 9-9-13, 11-26-14, 7-1-16, 3-23-20, 6-7-22,
1-24-23.
