What is the size limit for gag grouper in Alabama?

24 in total length minimum. Measured as total length: snout to the tip of the tail, tail lobes squeezed together.

When is gag grouper season in Alabama?

State waters follow federal Gulf season: 2026 open Sept 1 - 30. As of Sep 21, 2026 it is open.

How current is this Alabama gag grouper rule?

Source: AL MRD 2026, last checked Sep 20, 2026. A watchman re-reads the agency's pages nightly. Rules change mid-season by proclamation; the official rulebook is the final word.

Gag grouper in Alabama: size, bag and season limits (2026)

Alabama state waters, out to 3 miles

Size24 in total length minimumTotal length: snout to the tip of the tail, tail lobes squeezed together

Bag2 per person within 4-grouper aggregateAggregate: Grouper aggregate (4)

SeasonState waters follow federal Gulf season: 2026 open Sept 1 - 30Open today

Mixed-species grouper aggregate 4 per person; no more than 2 gag.

AL MRD 2026 · checked 2026-09-20 · the official rulebook is the final word

Past 3 miles: federal waters Different rule

Size24 in total lengthTotal length

Bag2 per person within 4-fish grouper aggregate

Season2026 season: Sep 1 - Sep 30 (closes 12:01 a.m. Oct 1)

Season set annually by quota projection; 2026 window confirmed by NOAA bulletin.

NOAA SERO 2026 / Gulf Council 2026 · checked 2026-09-20

Often mistaken for

Studio photograph of a Black Grouper (Mycteroperca bonaci), side view, on a white background

Black grouperRectangular dark blotches, brassy spots. Tell them apart

Size24 in total length minimum

Bag4 per person within 4-grouper aggregate

SeasonOpen year-round; state waters follow federal openings/closures

Keep the wrong fish and its rule applies.

Alabama state record

74 lb 8 oz1963

Outdoor Alabama Saltwater State Records · checked 2026-08-23

How to tell it
Box-shaped worm markings in gray marble; darker fins with white edge on the anal. More on the gag grouper page: every state’s rule, the records, and how anglers catch it.
Gag grouper in other states11 rulebooks
Florida (Atlantic)Florida (Gulf)Georgia Louisiana Maryland Mississippi North Carolina South Carolina Texas Virginia Every state
Questions anglers ask5
What is the size limit for gag grouper in Alabama?
24 in total length minimum. Measured as total length: snout to the tip of the tail, tail lobes squeezed together.
How many gag grouper can you keep in Alabama?
2 per person within 4-grouper aggregate. Aggregate: Grouper aggregate (4).
When is gag grouper season in Alabama?
State waters follow federal Gulf season: 2026 open Sept 1 - 30. As of Sep 21, 2026 it is open.
What is the Alabama record gag grouper?
74 lb 8 oz (1963).
How current is this Alabama gag grouper rule?
Source: AL MRD 2026, last checked Sep 20, 2026. A watchman re-reads the agency's pages nightly. Rules change mid-season by proclamation; the official rulebook is the final word.

Gag grouperin Alabama