Florida Pompano Regulations in Florida (2026)

Where

Statewide

Size limit

Slot Limit: 11" - 20" fork length

Bag limit

Florida pompano without endorsement: Daily Bag Limit: 250 pompano; Daily Incidental Bycatch Limit: 100 pompano for persons fishing for other species in federal waters with gill or entangling nets, as long as such person possesses as saltwater products license with a restricted species endorsement.; Florida pompano with pompano endorsement in PEZ (see map below): Daily Bag Limit: Unlimited

Season

Closed Season: None

• Allowable Gear: Hook and line, cast net and beach or haul seine only.
• Prohibited Gear: Multiple hook in conjunction with live or natural bait.
• Allowable Gear: Gill and entangling nets, hook and line, cast net and beach or haul seine only.
• Remarks: Florida Pompano caught as incidental bycatch in federal waters must be transported through state waters without stopping.
• Must have Pompano endorsement to use gill and entangling nets in the PEZ (Federal waters between Hurricane Pass and Cape Sable in the Gulf).
• Must transit all harvested fish directly through state waters to land without stopping and must be landed between Cape Sable and Hurricane Pass in Collier County.
• Persons harvesting Florida pompano in state and federal waters who have a saltwater products license with a restricted species endorsement, but do not possess a pompano endorsement, shall be subject to a daily harvest and landing limit of 250 individual Florida pompano.
• Incidental bycatch harvested with gill or entangling nets in federal waters may not exceed 100 Florida pompano.
• Persons harvesting Florida pompano in state and federal waters who have a saltwater products license with a restricted species endorsement and a pompano endorsement can harvest an unlimited number of pompano with gill and entangling nets in addition to allowable gear within the Pompano Endorsement Zone, south of Hurricane Pass and north of Cape Sable.
• Gill nets used to directly harvest Florida pompano in federal waters must be at least 400 yards long, at least 70 meshes deep at its shallowest point and have a stretched mesh size of at least 4 1/2 inches throughout.
• *Permit, Florida pompano and African pompano must be landed in whole condition.
• SPL and RS
• Must have pompano endorsement to use gill and entangling nets in the pompano endorsement zone (federal waters between Hurricane Pass and Cape Sable in the Gulf).
• Harvest prohibited by or with the use of any multiple hook in conjunction with live or dead natural bait or any snatch hook.
• Must remain in whole condition until landed ashore (head & tail intact).
• Must transit all harvested fish directly through state waters to land without stopping and must be landed within the PEZ.

Official source