Warsaw Grouper
Hyporthodus nigritus
How to tell it
Deep-water giant; the only grouper with 10 dorsal spines and an elongated second spine.
Rules for
Every state
| State | Size | Bag | Season | Today |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | No size limit | 4 per person within 4-grouper aggregate | Open when federal Gulf waters are open (currently year-round)AL MRD 2026 · likely · checked | Open |
| Florida (Atlantic) | No size limit | 1 per vessel per day (state waters) | State waters open year-roundFWC 2026 · checked | Open |
| Florida (Gulf) | No size limit | 1 per vessel within 4-grouper aggregate | Open year-roundFWC 2026 · checked | Open |
| GeorgiaFederal rule (South Atlantic federal waters) | Harvest prohibited | No harvest or possession | Closed year-roundSAFMC / NOAA SERO 2026 · checked | Put it back |
| Louisiana | No size limit | No more than 1 per vessel, within 4-grouper aggregate | Open year-roundLDWF 2026 · checked | Open |
| Maryland | No size limit | 1 (all groupers combined) | Open year-roundMD DNR 2026 · likely · checked | Open |
| Mississippi | No size limit | 1 per vessel per day | Open year-roundMS DMR 2026 · checked | Open |
| 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 |
| TexasFederal rule (Gulf federal waters) | No size limit | 1 per vessel per day within 4-grouper aggregate | Open year-roundNOAA SERO 2026 / Gulf Council 2026 · checked | Open |
| Virginia | No size limit | 1 grouper per person (all grouper species combined) | Open year-roundVMRC 2026 · likely · checked | Open |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 226 lb | 1981 | Outdoor Alabama Saltwater State Records · checked 2026-08-23 |
| Florida | 436.75 lb | 1985 · Destin | FWC Saltwater Fishing Records (All-Tackle) · checked 2026-08-23 |
| Georgia | 252 lb | 1981 | GA DNR CRD Saltwater Records · checked 2026-08-23 · GA keeps men's/women's records; heavier taken as overall |
| Louisiana | 383.13 lb | 2017 · Garden Banks | LOWA Louisiana State Fish Records (Saltwater, Rod & Reel) · checked 2026-08-23 |
| Mississippi | 250 lb | 2004 | MDMR State Saltwater Records (Conventional) · checked 2026-08-23 |
| North Carolina | 245 lb | 1967 · Wrightsville Beach | NCDMF State Saltwater Records · checked 2026-08-22 |
| South Carolina | 310 lb | 1976 · Murrells Inlet | SCDNR Saltwater Game Fish Records · checked 2026-08-23 · frozen record (protected/slot species) |
| Texas | 370.4 lb | 2010 · Gulf of America | TPWD State Records (Saltwater, Rod & Reel) · checked 2026-08-23 |
On the table
Good eating, but prohibited in the Atlantic and one per vessel in the Gulf.
In the app
Point the camera at a warsaw 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 warsaw grouper
How many warsaw grouper can you keep?
Alabama: 4 per person within 4-grouper aggregate; Florida (Atlantic): 1 per vessel per day (state waters); Florida (Gulf): 1 per vessel within 4-grouper aggregate; Louisiana: No more than 1 per vessel, within 4-grouper aggregate; Maryland: 1 (all groupers combined); Mississippi: 1 per vessel per day; Texas: 1 per vessel per day within 4-grouper aggregate; Virginia: 1 grouper per person (all grouper species combined).
Where is warsaw grouper harvest prohibited?
Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina. Release it there.
What is the record warsaw grouper?
436.75 lb in Florida (1985), Destin. Other states’ records are in the table.