The 2025 recreational red snapper season in federal waters off the Texas coast will officially close at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, November 21st. This marks the end of a record-setting 173-day season, the longest since 2007.

Anglers have enjoyed nearly six months of offshore fishing opportunities, with the season managed under a regional agreement between the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) and the National Marine Fisheries Service. The closure is based on a quota system that tracks red snapper landings in pounds to determine when federal waters must close.

Fishing will still be permitted in Texas state waters, extending up to nine nautical miles offshore, where anglers may keep up to four red snapper per day, each measuring at least 15 inches in length. State waters will remain open until the annual catch limit is reached.

Robin Riechers, TPWD Coastal Fisheries Division Director, noted the season’s length as a milestone for regional fisheries management. “This remarkable milestone clearly shows that regional management of fisheries works to provide greater benefits and fishing opportunities to anglers,” Riechers said.

TPWD monitors red snapper harvests through its creel survey program and the Texas Hunt & Fish mobile app, which anglers are encouraged to use to report landings in state waters.