Species › North America · Saltwater › Mangrove Snapper

Saltwater

Mangrove Snapper

Lutjanus griseus · gray snapper, grey snapper, mango snapper

Water temp
72–84°F
Peak season
Jun–Aug
Best light
Night
IGFA record
18 lb 10 oz (8.45 kg)
Mangrove Snapper (Lutjanus griseus (S0624) (12596775395).jpg)

Photo: Smithsonian Environmental Research Center · CC BY 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons

OverviewWhere & WhenHow to CatchGearRegulationsRecordsForecastCatches

Overview

Mangrove snapper, officially the gray snapper, are gray to reddish-bronze fish with a dark stripe through the eye on juveniles, red-tinged fins and a mouthful of canine teeth. They range from North Carolina through Florida, the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean to Brazil, with the heart of the US fishery in Florida and the Gulf states. Inshore fish around mangroves, seawalls and bridges run 10–14 in, while fish on offshore reefs and wrecks commonly reach 5–10 lb, and anything over 15 lb is a giant.

Mangroves are wary, structure-hugging predators that feed on shrimp, crabs and small fish, mainly around dawn, dusk and at night. They are notorious for inspecting a bait and nipping it off the hook, which is why light fluorocarbon leaders and small hooks matter so much. Summer brings large spawning aggregations to offshore reefs and wrecks in 60–150 ft, where chumming raises schools behind the boat. For anglers they are the everyman's snapper: available year-round from docks and piers, fast on light gear and among the best-eating fish in the Southeast.

Typical size1–3 lb (0.5–1.5 kg); 10–16 in
Trophy8 lb+ inshore; 12 lb+ offshore
Table fareExcellent — sweet, firm white fillets

Where & when

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Mangrove snapper bite year-round in Florida and the Gulf, with the peak in June–August when big fish stack on offshore reefs and wrecks to spawn around the full moons; inshore action is steadiest in spring and fall.

Florida Keys, FLPatch reefs and bridges; night fishing for 5 lb-plus fishTampa Bay, FLSkyway piers, rock piles and mangrove shorelinesMobile Bay, ALGas rigs and nearshore reefs load up in summerGrand Isle, LAOil platforms produce the biggest mangroves anywhere

How to catch

Free-lining live shrimpHook a live shrimp through the horn on a 1/0 circle hook with 20 lb fluorocarbon and no weight, then let the current carry it back along a seawall, bridge fender or mangrove edge. Keep the line barely tight and reel steadily when it moves off.
Chumming the reefAnchor up-current of a reef or wreck in 50–120 ft and run a steady slick of frozen chum and small chunks. Drift back small pieces of sardine or pilchard on a 2/0 hook with no weight or a tiny split shot; big mangroves rise into the slick at dusk.
Knocker rig on structureSlide a 1/2–2 oz egg sinker directly against a 1/0–3/0 hook baited with a pilchard or cut bait and drop it tight to pilings, rocks or rig legs. The compact rig keeps bait in the strike zone and lets you set fast before the fish reaches cover.
Small jigs under docksSkip a 1/8–1/4 oz jighead with a 3 in shrimp imitation or paddle-tail far back under dock shade and hop it slowly. Fish in the shadows hit it on the fall; works best on moving tide.

Gear

Rod7' medium spinning, fast action; 7' medium-heavy for offshore
Reel2500–4000 spinning; 5000 for reef fish
Line10–15 lb braid with 20–30 lb fluorocarbon leader; 40 lb leader on wrecks

Lures

Shrimp-imitation soft plastics on light jigheadsSmall paddle-tail swimbaitsBucktail jigs tipped with shrimpSmall suspending twitchbaits

Baits

Live shrimpLive pilchards or greenbacksCut sardineSmall pinfish

Regulations

Gray snapper have minimum size and daily bag limits in every Gulf and Atlantic state, with separate state and federal-water rules and aggregate snapper limits; Florida and Louisiana differ. A saltwater license and, in some states, a reef-fish endorsement are required.

Records

IGFA all-tackle world record: 18 lb 10 oz (8.45 kg) — Off Cocodrie, Louisiana, July 2015 (Tim Champagne). State and regional records are kept by each fish & wildlife agency.

Frequently asked

Why do mangrove snapper keep stealing my bait?

They see the leader and hook and nip the bait off the edges. Downsize to a 1/0 or smaller circle hook, use 15–20 lb fluorocarbon, hide the hook in the bait and fish with no weight or the lightest you can hold bottom with. Fishing at dusk or at night also makes them far less cautious.

How big do mangrove snapper get?

Inshore fish rarely top 3 lb, but offshore wrecks and Gulf oil platforms hold fish of 8–15 lb, and the all-tackle record is over 18 lb. Fish over 10 lb are usually 10-plus years old.

Bite forecast — Mangrove Snapper

Recent catches

Posted by anglers on the live map, filtered to Mangrove Snapper.

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