Lane SnapperorWhite Grunt
Two fish anglers mix up. Here is what separates them, and what each one’s rules are in your state.
How to tell them apart
Lane Snapper
Pink with yellow horizontal stripes and a diffuse dark spot below the rear dorsal.
Lane snapper, next to white grunt: body stripes and a dark side spot.
White Grunt
Blue and yellow stripes on the head, bright orange mouth lining, grunts when landed.
White grunt, next to lane snapper: grunt has blue head stripes, no dark spot.
Side by side
| Lane Snapper | White Grunt | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Lutjanus synagris | Haemulon plumierii |
| Also called | — | Gray grunt, Key West grunt |
| Waters | Nearshore | Nearshore |
| Heaviest state record | 12.08 lb · Louisiana (2009) | 5 lb 10 oz · South Carolina (2015) |
| On the table | Very good. | Very good panfish. |
| Rules of its own in | 10 states | 4 states |
Rules for
Every state, both fish
The two fish are regulated differently in 10 of 10 states with a rule for either. In Florida (Atlantic), lane snapper is 8 in TL min, 10 per person (within 10-snapper aggregate) and white grunt is No size limit, 10 per person per day within 20-fish snapper-grouper aggregate. Call the fish wrong and you keep a short one or throw back a legal one.
| State | Lane Snapper: size · bag · season | White Grunt: size · bag · season |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 10 in total length minimum20-fish reef fish aggregateOpen year-roundOpenAL MRD 2026 · checked | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. |
| Florida (Atlantic) | 8 in TL min10 per person (within 10-snapper aggregate)Open year-roundOpenFWC 2026 · checked | No size limit10 per person per day within 20-fish snapper-grouper aggregateOpen year-roundOpenFederal rule (South Atlantic federal waters)SAFMC / NOAA SERO 2026 · checked |
| Florida (Gulf) | 10 in TL min20 per person (not in snapper aggregate)Open year-roundOpenFWC 2026 · checked | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. |
| Georgia | 8 in total length10 per person per day within 10-snapper aggregateOpen year-roundOpenFederal rule (South Atlantic federal waters)SAFMC / NOAA SERO 2026 · checked | No size limit10 per person per day within 20-fish snapper-grouper aggregateOpen year-roundOpenFederal rule (South Atlantic federal waters)SAFMC / NOAA SERO 2026 · checked |
| Louisiana | 8 in total length20 per person in reef fish aggregateOpen year-roundOpenLDWF 2026 · checked | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. |
| Maryland | No size limit20 aggregate; max 10 of any one speciesOpen year-roundOpenMD DNR 2026 · checked | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. |
| Mississippi | 8 in total length minimum20 per person per dayOpen year-roundOpenMS DMR 2026 · checked | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. |
| North Carolina | 8 in total length10 per person per day within 10-snapper aggregateOpen year-roundOpenFederal rule (South Atlantic federal waters)SAFMC / NOAA SERO 2026 · checked | No size limit10 per person per day within 20-fish snapper-grouper aggregateOpen year-roundOpenFederal rule (South Atlantic federal waters)SAFMC / NOAA SERO 2026 · checked |
| South Carolina | 8 in total length10/day snapper aggregateOpen year-roundOpenSC DNR 2026 · checked | No size limit20/day aggregate, max 10 of any one speciesOpen year-roundOpenSC DNR 2026 · checked |
| Texas | 8 in total lengthNo bag limitOpen year-roundOpenTPWD 2026 · checked | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. |
In the app
Point the camera at the fish and Chum names it before you take the picture, lane snapper or white grunt, with the right rules for the water you’re standing in. No signal needed.
Get the appQuestions anglers ask
How do you tell lane snapper from white grunt?
Lane Snapper: Pink with yellow horizontal stripes and a diffuse dark spot below the rear dorsal. White Grunt: Blue and yellow stripes on the head, bright orange mouth lining, grunts when landed. White grunt, next to lane snapper: grunt has blue head stripes, no dark spot. Lane snapper, next to white grunt: body stripes and a dark side spot.
Which gets bigger, lane snapper or white grunt?
Lane Snapper. The heaviest state record we hold is 12.08 lb in Louisiana; the heaviest white grunt record is 5 lb 10 oz in South Carolina.
Which is better to eat, lane snapper or white grunt?
Lane Snapper: Very good. White Grunt: Very good panfish.
Do lane snapper and white grunt have the same limits?
Not everywhere. They differ in 10 state rulebooks. Florida (Atlantic): lane snapper 8 in TL min, 10 per person (within 10-snapper aggregate), white grunt No size limit, 10 per person per day within 20-fish snapper-grouper aggregate; Georgia: lane snapper 8 in total length, 10 per person per day within 10-snapper aggregate, white grunt No size limit, 10 per person per day within 20-fish snapper-grouper aggregate; North Carolina: lane snapper 8 in total length, 10 per person per day within 10-snapper aggregate, white grunt No size limit, 10 per person per day within 20-fish snapper-grouper aggregate; South Carolina: lane snapper 8 in total length, 10/day snapper aggregate, white grunt No size limit, 20/day aggregate, max 10 of any one species; Alabama: lane snapper 10 in total length minimum, 20-fish reef fish aggregate, white grunt no rule of its own; and more in the table on this page.