Mangrove SnapperorLane Snapper
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
Mangrove Snapper
Gray-bronze with reddish tinge, two canine fangs up top, dark stripe through the eye on juveniles.
Lane Snapper
Pink with yellow horizontal stripes and a diffuse dark spot below the rear dorsal.
Lane snapper, next to mangrove snapper: pink-yellow stripes and a dark side spot.
Side by side
| Mangrove Snapper | Lane Snapper | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Lutjanus griseus | Lutjanus synagris |
| Also called | Gray snapper, Mango | — |
| Waters | Nearshore | Nearshore |
| Heaviest state record | 18.67 lb · Texas (1998) | 12.08 lb · Louisiana (2009) |
| On the table | Excellent. | Very good. |
| Rules of its own in | 10 states | 10 states |
Rules for
Every state, both fish
The two fish are regulated differently in 9 of 10 states with a rule for either. In Alabama, mangrove snapper is 12 in total length minimum, 10 per person and lane snapper is 10 in total length minimum, 20-fish reef fish aggregate. Call the fish wrong and you keep a short one or throw back a legal one.
| State | Mangrove Snapper: size · bag · season | Lane Snapper: size · bag · season |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 12 in total length minimum10 per personOpen year-roundOpenAL MRD 2026 · checked | 10 in total length minimum20-fish reef fish aggregateOpen year-roundOpenAL MRD 2026 · checked |
| Florida (Atlantic) | 10 in TL min5 per person within 10-snapper aggregateOpen year-roundOpenFWC 2026 · checked | 8 in TL min10 per person (within 10-snapper aggregate)Open year-roundOpenFWC 2026 · checked |
| Florida (Gulf) | 10 in TL min5 per person within 10-snapper aggregateOpen year-roundOpenFWC 2026 · checked | 10 in TL min20 per person (not in snapper aggregate)Open year-roundOpenFWC 2026 · checked |
| Georgia | 12 in total length10 per person per day within 10-snapper aggregateOpen year-roundOpenFederal rule (South Atlantic federal waters)SAFMC / NOAA SERO 2026 · checked | 8 in total length10 per person per day within 10-snapper aggregateOpen year-roundOpenFederal rule (South Atlantic federal waters)SAFMC / NOAA SERO 2026 · checked |
| Louisiana | 12 in total length10 per person in snapper aggregateOpen year-roundOpenLDWF 2026 · checked | 8 in total length20 per person in reef fish aggregateOpen year-roundOpenLDWF 2026 · checked |
| Maryland | No size limit20 aggregate; max 10 of any one speciesOpen year-roundOpenMD DNR 2026 · checked | No size limit20 aggregate; max 10 of any one speciesOpen year-roundOpenMD DNR 2026 · checked |
| Mississippi | 12 in total length minimum10 per person per dayOpen year-roundOpenMS DMR 2026 · checked | 8 in total length minimum20 per person per dayOpen year-roundOpenMS DMR 2026 · checked |
| North Carolina | 12 in total length10 per person per day within 10-snapper aggregateOpen year-roundOpenFederal rule (South Atlantic federal waters)SAFMC / NOAA SERO 2026 · checked | 8 in total length10 per person per day within 10-snapper aggregateOpen year-roundOpenFederal rule (South Atlantic federal waters)SAFMC / NOAA SERO 2026 · checked |
| South Carolina | 12 in total length10/day snapper aggregateOpen year-roundOpenSC DNR 2026 · checked | 8 in total length10/day snapper aggregateOpen year-roundOpenSC DNR 2026 · checked |
| Texas | 12 in total lengthWithin 10-snapper aggregate (10 snappers combined per person per day)Open year-roundOpenFederal rule (Gulf federal waters)NOAA SERO 2026 / Gulf Council 2026 · checked | 8 in total lengthNo bag limitOpen year-roundOpenTPWD 2026 · checked |
In the app
Point the camera at the fish and Chum names it before you take the picture, mangrove snapper or lane snapper, with the right rules for the water you’re standing in. No signal needed.
Get the appQuestions anglers ask
How do you tell mangrove snapper from lane snapper?
Mangrove Snapper: Gray-bronze with reddish tinge, two canine fangs up top, dark stripe through the eye on juveniles. Lane Snapper: Pink with yellow horizontal stripes and a diffuse dark spot below the rear dorsal. Lane snapper, next to mangrove snapper: pink-yellow stripes and a dark side spot.
Which gets bigger, mangrove snapper or lane snapper?
Mangrove Snapper. The heaviest state record we hold is 18.67 lb in Texas; the heaviest lane snapper record is 12.08 lb in Louisiana.
Which is better to eat, mangrove snapper or lane snapper?
Mangrove Snapper: Excellent. Lane Snapper: Very good.
Do mangrove snapper and lane snapper have the same limits?
Not everywhere. They differ in 9 state rulebooks. Alabama: mangrove snapper 12 in total length minimum, 10 per person, lane snapper 10 in total length minimum, 20-fish reef fish aggregate; Florida (Atlantic): mangrove snapper 10 in TL min, 5 per person within 10-snapper aggregate, lane snapper 8 in TL min, 10 per person (within 10-snapper aggregate); Florida (Gulf): mangrove snapper 10 in TL min, 5 per person within 10-snapper aggregate, lane snapper 10 in TL min, 20 per person (not in snapper aggregate); Georgia: mangrove snapper 12 in total length, 10 per person per day within 10-snapper aggregate, lane snapper 8 in total length, 10 per person per day within 10-snapper aggregate; Louisiana: mangrove snapper 12 in total length, 10 per person in snapper aggregate, lane snapper 8 in total length, 20 per person in reef fish aggregate; and more in the table on this page.