Goliath Grouper
Epinephelus itajara
How to tell it
Enormous rounded tan-brown grouper with small eyes and faint bars; can top 500 lb.
Rules for
Every state
| State | Size | Bag | Season | Today |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Harvest prohibited | Zero | Closed year-roundAL MRD 2026 · checked | Put it back |
| Florida (Atlantic) | No harvest without permit | No harvest (200-tag lottery permit program only) | Closed except permit season Mar 1-May 31FWC 2026 · checked | Put it back |
| Florida (Gulf) | No harvest without permit | No harvest (200-tag lottery permit program only) | Closed except permit season Mar 1-May 31FWC 2026 · checked | Put it back |
| GeorgiaFederal rule (South Atlantic federal waters) | Harvest prohibited | No harvest or possession | Closed year-roundSAFMC / NOAA SERO 2026 · checked | Put it back |
| Louisiana | No harvest | No harvest or possession | Closed year-roundLDWF 2026 · checked | Put it back |
| Maryland | No take | No harvest or possession | ClosedMD DNR 2026 · likely · checked | Put it back |
| Mississippi | No take | No take | Closed year-roundMS DMR 2026 · checked | Put it back |
| North Carolina | N/A | No harvest or possession | Closed year-roundNC DMF 2026 · checked | Put it back |
| South Carolina | No harvest | Possession prohibited | Closed year-roundSC DNR 2026 · checked | Put it back |
| Texas | No harvest | 0 | Closed year-roundTPWD 2026 · checked | Put it back |
| Virginia | Release only | 0 | Closed year-roundVMRC 2026 · likely · checked | Put it back |
Not specifically regulated in Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island: each state’s rule for unlisted species applies there (on its page).
State records
| State | Weight | When, where | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | 680 lb | 1961 · Fernandina Beach | FWC Saltwater Fishing Records (All-Tackle) · checked 2026-08-23 |
| Georgia | 124 lb | 1976 | GA DNR CRD Saltwater Records · checked 2026-08-23 · GA keeps men's/women's records; heavier taken as overall; frozen record (harvest prohibited) |
| Texas | 551 lb | 1937 · Gulf of America | TPWD State Records (Saltwater, Rod & Reel) · checked 2026-08-23 |
On the table
Harvest prohibited — release (Florida's limited tag hunt is the one exception).
In the app
Point the camera at a goliath grouper and the name appears before you take the picture, with these rules for the water you’re standing in. No signal needed, and every catch goes in the log.
Get the appQuestions anglers ask about goliath grouper
Where is goliath grouper harvest prohibited?
Alabama, Florida (Atlantic), Florida (Gulf), Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia. Release it there.
What is the record goliath grouper?
680 lb in Florida (1961), Fernandina Beach. Other states’ records are in the table.