The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries announced on May 4 that the recreational Red Snapper season will be open for 62 days this summer. The season is part of a pilot project to test a data collection program using a mobile application to monitor the recreational Red Snapper harvest.
This initiative is important as it aims to improve monitoring and management of the Red Snapper fishery by collecting near real-time data. The project is supported by a $300,000 grant from Yamaha Rightwaters, which focuses on sustaining marine resources and supporting recreational fishing opportunities.
To participate in the pilot project, private recreational anglers must download the VESL mobile application and agree to record their Red Snapper harvest and discard information. They are also required to have a copy of the Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) with them while fishing. Charter and headboat owners or operators must fill out an online request form to receive their EFP copy and continue reporting through NOAA’s existing system.
The 2026 North Carolina Red Snapper season will run from July 1 through August 31. Only hook-and-line gear may be used, with no size limit set for catches. Bag limits vary: private anglers may keep one fish per person or four per vessel (whichever is more restrictive), charter boats are subject to similar limits, while headboats carrying more than six passengers may keep up to one fish per person or twenty per vessel (whichever is more restrictive).
This pilot project applies only to recreational fishing; commercial management of Red Snapper remains unchanged. More information can be found on the Division’s Red Snapper Season webpage or by emailing RedSnapper.EFP@deq.nc.gov.
