Greater Amberjack (also known as Amberjack, AJ, Reef Donkey) in Florida. Minimum legal size, daily bag limit, possession limit — verified against the FWC guide, 2026.
In Florida, the minimum legal size for Greater Amberjack is 34 in and the daily bag limit is 1 per person. Season note: Gulf state waters: open September 1 - October 13, 2026. Atlantic state waters and the federal season are set separately and can change in-season — always confirm the current FWC dates before keeping fish.
Gulf state waters: open September 1 - October 13, 2026. Atlantic state waters and the federal season are set separately and can change in-season — always confirm the current FWC dates before keeping fish.
Gulf = 34" FL; Atlantic = 28" FL. Gulf season is very short and announced annually by executive order; Atlantic is open year-round except a recurring April closure ('January–March and May–December. Closed April.'). STATE waters: Gulf minimum 34" fork length; Atlantic minimum 28" fork length. The Gulf and Atlantic state-water size minimums differ. Same minimums apply in adjacent federal waters; Gulf state-waters season is set by FWC executive order to match the short federal Gulf season. State Reef Fish Survey designation required from a private recreational vessel. Re-checked 2026-09 against the FWC amberjack page. Florida publishes no single statewide minimum for greater amberjack: it is 34" fork length in Gulf state waters and 28" fork length in Atlantic state waters. minSize carries the 34" Gulf figure, which is the more restrictive of the two, so an Atlantic angler is told a stricter limit than the law requires rather than a looser one. Bag limit of 1 per person is the same on both coasts. The Gulf season is narrow — open September 1 to October 13, 2026. Do not confuse this species with lesser amberjack and banded rudderfish, which share the same FWC page and a separate 14-22" fork length slot.
These limits are pulled from the FWC recreational saltwater size and bag limits. Last verified September 2026.
Always check the official guide before keeping any fish. Regulations change. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) updates its guide annually and occasionally mid-year. Fines for over-bag or undersized fish are significant.
Florida requires a recreational saltwater fishing licence to take saltwater species (residents can get a no-cost Resident Saltwater Shoreline licence for shore fishing). A snook or tarpon permit is needed for those species. Florida saltwater licences.
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