Red GrouperorRed Hind
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
Red Grouper
Brick-red mottle, pale blotches, sloped straight head profile; inside of mouth washed red.
Red Hind
Pale body evenly covered in bright red spots — the 'strawberry grouper'.
Red hind, next to red grouper: smaller, covered in discrete red spots.
Side by side
| Red Grouper | Red Hind | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Epinephelus morio | Epinephelus guttatus |
| Also called | — | — |
| Waters | Nearshore | Nearshore |
| Heaviest state record | 42.25 lb · Florida (1997) | 10 lb 2.4 oz · North Carolina (2023) |
| On the table | Excellent. | Very good. |
| Rules of its own in | 11 states | 9 states |
Rules for
Every state, both fish
The two fish are regulated differently in 9 of 11 states with a rule for either. In Alabama, red grouper is 20 in total length minimum, 2 per person within 4-grouper aggregate and red hind is No size limit, 4 per person within 4-grouper aggregate. Call the fish wrong and you keep a short one or throw back a legal one.
| State | Red Grouper: size · bag · season | Red Hind: size · bag · season |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 20 in total length minimum2 per person within 4-grouper aggregateOpen year-round; state waters follow federal openings/closuresOpenAL MRD 2026 · checked | No size limit4 per person within 4-grouper aggregateOpen year-roundOpenAL MRD 2026 · likely · checked |
| Florida (Atlantic) | 20 in TL minUp to 3 within 3-grouper aggregateOpen May 1-Dec 31OpenFWC 2026 · checked | No size limitUp to 3 within 3-grouper aggregateOpen May 1-Dec 31OpenFWC 2026 · checked |
| Florida (Gulf) | 20 in TL min2 per person within 4-grouper aggregateOpen year-roundOpenFWC 2026 · checked | No size limitUp to 4 within 4-grouper aggregateOpen year-roundOpenFWC 2026 · checked |
| Georgia | 20 in total length3 per person per day within 3-grouper aggregateNC/SC federal waters: June 1 – Dec 31 (closed Jan 1 – May 31); GA/FL: May 1 – Dec 31OpenFederal rule (South Atlantic federal waters)SAFMC / NOAA SERO 2026 · checked | No size limit3 per person per day within 3-grouper aggregateMay 1 – Dec 31 (spawning closure Jan 1 – Apr 30)OpenFederal rule (South Atlantic federal waters)SAFMC / NOAA SERO 2026 · checked |
| Louisiana | 20 in total length4 per person in grouper aggregate, max 2 red grouperOpen year-round; closed Feb. 1–Mar. 31 seaward of the 20-fathom lineOpenLDWF 2026 · checked | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. |
| Maryland | No size limit1 (all groupers combined)Open year-roundOpenMD DNR 2026 · likely · checked | No size limit1 (all groupers combined)Open year-roundOpenMD DNR 2026 · likely · checked |
| Mississippi | 20 in total length minimum4 per person per day (grouper aggregate)Open year-roundOpenMS DMR 2026 · checked | No size limitNo individual limit (within 4-grouper aggregate)Open year-roundOpenMS DMR 2026 · checked |
| North Carolina | 20 in total length3 per person per day within 3-grouper aggregateNC/SC federal waters: June 1 – Dec 31 (closed Jan 1 – May 31); GA/FL: May 1 – Dec 31OpenFederal rule (South Atlantic federal waters)SAFMC / NOAA SERO 2026 · checked | No size limit3 per person per day within 3-grouper aggregateMay 1 – Dec 31 (spawning closure Jan 1 – Apr 30)OpenFederal rule (South Atlantic federal waters)SAFMC / NOAA SERO 2026 · checked |
| South Carolina | 20 in total lengthWithin 3-grouper aggregateOpen year-roundOpenSC DNR 2026 · checked | No size limitWithin 3-grouper aggregateOpen year-roundOpenSC DNR 2026 · checked |
| Texas | 20 in total length2 per person within 4-fish grouper aggregateOpen year-round except Feb 1 - Mar 31 shallow-water grouper closure seaward of the 20-fathom breakOpenFederal rule (Gulf federal waters)NOAA SERO 2026 / Gulf Council 2026 · checked | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. |
| Virginia | No size limit1 grouper per person (all grouper species combined)Open year-roundOpenVMRC 2026 · likely · checked | No size limit1 grouper per person (all grouper species combined)Open year-roundOpenVMRC 2026 · likely · checked |
In the app
Point the camera at the fish and Chum names it before you take the picture, red grouper or red hind, with the right rules for the water you’re standing in. No signal needed.
Get the appQuestions anglers ask
How do you tell red grouper from red hind?
Red Grouper: Brick-red mottle, pale blotches, sloped straight head profile; inside of mouth washed red. Red Hind: Pale body evenly covered in bright red spots — the 'strawberry grouper'. Red hind, next to red grouper: smaller, covered in discrete red spots.
Which gets bigger, red grouper or red hind?
Red Grouper. The heaviest state record we hold is 42.25 lb in Florida; the heaviest red hind record is 10 lb 2.4 oz in North Carolina.
Which is better to eat, red grouper or red hind?
Red Grouper: Excellent. Red Hind: Very good.
Do red grouper and red hind have the same limits?
Not everywhere. They differ in 9 state rulebooks. Alabama: red grouper 20 in total length minimum, 2 per person within 4-grouper aggregate, red hind No size limit, 4 per person within 4-grouper aggregate; Florida (Atlantic): red grouper 20 in TL min, Up to 3 within 3-grouper aggregate, red hind No size limit, Up to 3 within 3-grouper aggregate; Florida (Gulf): red grouper 20 in TL min, 2 per person within 4-grouper aggregate, red hind No size limit, Up to 4 within 4-grouper aggregate; Georgia: red grouper 20 in total length, 3 per person per day within 3-grouper aggregate, red hind No size limit, 3 per person per day within 3-grouper aggregate; Mississippi: red grouper 20 in total length minimum, 4 per person per day (grouper aggregate), red hind No size limit, No individual limit (within 4-grouper aggregate); and more in the table on this page.