The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) reminds anglers that it closed the harvest season for snook in Atlantic waters, which usually begins on February 1. The FWC issued an executive order on Jan. 15 that temporarily extends closed harvest seasons for snook statewide until Sept. 1 to protect snook populations that have been affected by the recent prolonged cold weather in Florida.

The order, which took effect at 12:01 a.m. on Jan. 16, provides that no person may harvest or possess snook in state and federal waters off Florida until September. Anglers may still catch and release snook during the closure, and the FWC encourages everyone to handle and release these fish carefully to help ensure their survival upon release.

For more information regarding the FWC's executive order for snook, see the Jan. 15 news release at MyFWC.com/Newsroom.