Orange Beach, Ala. — (OBA) —  Alabama's private angler red snapper season is nearing its close after another busy year on the Gulf. The Marine Resources Division (MRD) is part of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR). The agency manages the state's red snapper fishery to remain within federal harvest limits. Officials say the season saw more fishing trips and larger fish than the previous year.

The closure takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on Monday, November 16, 2026. MRD says the timing is intended to keep Alabama's private angler red snapper harvest at or below the 2026 federal allocation of 664,552 pounds. That allocation is expected to remain unchanged in 2027 unless the final 2026 harvest estimate exceeds the limit.

MRD Director Kevin Anson said this marked the second year the state moved away from a weekend-only format to a seven-day-a-week season. He said the change, combined with favorable weather, led to more time on the water.

"The increased access provided by the week-long format and good weather throughout much of the season resulted in more fishing trips compared to last year," Anson said. "Additionally, the fish that were sampled from private vessel anglers this year were approximately three-quarters of a pound larger than fish measured during the 2025 season."

Anson also addressed anglers' remarks about fish size. He said that what his team observed during sampling matched what he was hearing from people in the field.

"Our sampling this year matches comments from many anglers I spoke with who mentioned that the red snapper they harvested were a little larger than last year but were generally smaller than they would prefer to keep," Anson said. "We will continue working to ensure our citizens and visitors have access to the abundant red snapper fishery off Alabama's coast."

The private angler season covers fishing from non-chartered vessels, the shore, and piers, as well as from state-licensed charter vessels that do not hold a federal reef fish permit. It does not apply to federally permitted for-hire charter vessels, whose season closed on October 26. As of this release, NOAA Fisheries had not announced a reopening date for that group.

MRD plans to announce the dates for the 2027 red snapper season in the spring. Anglers seeking harvest data from recent seasons can visit www.outdooralabama.com/2025-red-snapper-landings-summary for information on the 2024 through 2026 seasons.

ADCNR oversees four divisions: Marine Resources, State Lands, State Parks, and Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries. For more information about the agency and its programs, visit www.outdooralabama.com.