SOUTH FLORIDA — Permit has opened for recreational harvest on Aug. 1 in the Special Permit Zone, an area south of Cape Florida on the west coast and south of Cape Sable on the east coast that includes state and federal waters.
The season closes annually on May 1. Outside of the Special Permit Zone, the recreational harvest of permit is open year-round. Commercial harvest of permit is not allowed inside the Special Permit Zone.
Recreational anglers fishing for permit inside the Special Permit Zone may take one fish per person, per day with no more than two fish being taken per vessel per day.
Permit must be more than 22 inches fork length to be harvested. In state waters, anglers can take permit using only hook and line, but in federal waters permit may be caught by spear as well as hook and line.
In all other state and federal waters outside the Special Permit Zone, anglers may harvest two fish per day. The size limit for permit is larger than 11 inches but less than 22 inches fork length, with one exception: anglers may take one fish larger than 22 inches within the two-fish bag limit.
Learn more about permit and pompano by visiting MyFWC.com/Fishing (click on “Saltwater Fishing,” “Recreational Regulations,” and “Permit, Florida pompano, African pompano”).