General Statewide Freshwater Fishing Regulations

1 Fishing REGUL ATIONSFLORIDA FRESHWATER2021 2022 Search MyFWC on Social MediaValid from July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022 Please visit for the most current regulationsSee page 4 Always be ready for a day on the water set your licenses and permits to renew with FWC s Auto-Renew feature! General Statewide Freshwater Fishing Regulationspages 12 14 Black Crappie Management Planpage 18 BLEEDBLEEDSAFETYSAFETYTRIM TRIM Fishing Regulations GUIDE - VA(AND VARIOUS OTHER STATES)TRIM: .. 8 X 10-1/2 BLEED: .. 8-1/4 X 10-3/4 SAFETY: .. 7 X 10 BLEEDSAFETYTRIM BLEEDSAFETYTRIM BLEEDSAFETYTRIM SAFETYBLEEDTRIM BLEEDSAFETYTRIM BLEEDSAFETYTRIM Client: ProgressiveJob No: by: Dalon WolfordApplications: InDesign CC, Adobe Photoshop CC, Adobe Illustrator CCJob Description: Full Page, 4 Color AdDocument Name: No Wake ad / Fishing Regulations Guide - Various StatesFinal Trim Size: 7-7/8 X 10-1/2 Final Bleed: 8-1/8 X 10-13/16 Safety: 7 X 10 Date Created: 03/04/21 Shhhhh.

2 No wake your baby (and their toys) with coverage for shing gear and personal property too. 1-800-PROGRESSIVE / Casualty Insurance Co. & af liates. Additional charge may apply. Prices vary based on how you from the FWC ..2 TrophyCatch ..4 Introduction & FWC Offices ..6 Fishing License Requirements & Fees ..8 Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration (SFR) ..9 Freshwater Fishing Tips from the Pros ..10 11 Freshwater License Exemptions ..12 Methods of Taking Freshwater Fish ..12 Game & Nongame Freshwater Fish ..12 Prohibited Gear for Taking Marine Fish in Fresh Water ..12 Methods of Taking Bait ..13 Restricted Species ..13 Fishing REGULATIONSUse of Fish for Bait ..13 Taking Mussels & Clams ..13 Special Regulations for Alligator Gar, Atlantic, Gulf and Shortnose Sturgeon ..13 Statewide Bag & Length Limits ..14 Special Bag & Length Limits.

3 14 Fish Identification Chart ..16 17 Freshwater fisheries Conservation Highlights ..18 Fish Management Area Regulations ..21 Summer Fishing Camps for Youth ..24 Frequently Answered Questions ..27 Fish Consumption Advisory ..28 When you buy your license online, it s fast, convenient and saves time and travel. Download the FWC Fish-Hunt-FL app for your iPhone or Android for instant can obtain a license 24 hours a day at and begin Fishing immediately!Licenses are also available toll-free at 1-888-FISHFLORIDA (1-888-347-4356). Handling fees apply to telephone and Internet your license online! for up-to-date information on Fishing , boating and how to help ensure safe, sustainable fisheries for the the latest rules, always visit FWC rules are in chapter and Wildlife Alert Reward ProgramReport Fishing , boating or hunting law violations by calling toll-free 1-888-404-FWCC (3922); on cell phones, dial *FWC or #FWC depending on service carrier; report violations online at or text: the Spread of Nonnative SpeciesIt is illegal to introduce any nonnative fish or any other nonnative organism into the waters of the state.

4 To find out more visit Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation commission does not allow discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, na-tional origin, age or disability. If you believe you have been discriminated against in any program, activity or facility of this agency which receives Federal financial assistance, you should contact/write to:Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation commission , Office of Human Resources, 620 South Meridian Street, Tallahassee, FL 32399-1600; Telephone 850-488-6411or contact/write to: Civil Rights Accessibil-ity Coordinator for Public Access, Fish and Wildlife Service, Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program, 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041; Telephone 703-358-2349 or the coverCrappie angler Joe Livingston with a nice "speck."There are no new Freshwater regulation changes for 2021-2022.

5 For the latest rules, always visit FWC rules are in chapter Rule ChangesMESSAGE FROM THE FWCA bout This GuideThis high-quality guide is offered to you by the Florida Fish and WIldlife Conservation commission 's Division of Freshwater fisheries Management through its unique partnership with Griffin Publishing, revenue generated through ad sales significantly lowers production costs and generates savings. These savings translate into additional funds for other important agency you have any feedback or are inter-ested in advertising, please contact us at or at Design: Jon Gulley, Dane Fay, John Corey, Evelyn Haddad, Chris SobolowskiWilliamstown, MA | Birmingham, ALThis guide is also available online Griffin Publishing, LLC is proud to print the official Florida Freshwater Fishing Regulations summary on post-consumer recycled Chairman Rodney BarretoFreshwater Fishing in the Sunshine State continues to thrive during these unprecedented times.

6 As we continue to navigate a new normal, we encourage Floridians to continue to enjoy all the opportunities the Fishing Capital of the World has to offer. You don t need a boat to reel in a Big Catch and enjoy Florida s spectacular natural resources. Try Fishing from a pier, lakeshore or riverbank where you could hook some amazing fish. From largemouth bass to black crappie, Florida lakes and rivers are home to a huge variety of Freshwater fish. Freshwater Fishing in Florida boosts the economy with annual total expenditures of $5 billion and is ranked No. 1 in the country with 4 million anglers. Florida's role as the top Fishing destination for travelers is overwhelming with 2 million nonresident anglers visiting the state with the ripple effect of these dollars creating an $ billion economic impact from Florida's recreational fisheries that supports over 80,000 jobs.

7 *Interested in getting back into Fishing or want to take advantage of the numerous Freshwater Fishing opportunities available to residents and visitors alike, including two separate license-free Freshwater Fishing weekends? Each year on the first consecutive Saturday and Sunday in April and the second consecutive Saturday and Sunday in June the FWC offers License-free Fishing Days. On these days, the Freshwater Fishing license requirement is waived for all recreational anglers, including residents and nonresidents. All bag limits, closed areas and size restrictions apply on these dates. TrophyCatch is the FWC s premier largemouth bass citizen science conservation program that rewards anglers who provide documentation of largemouth bass caught and released in Florida that weigh at least 8 pounds or heavier. Participating anglers win prizes, such as gift cards, and rods and reels, while one lucky winner each season wins a bass boat.

8 The FWC is committed to encouraging anglers to participate in the conservation of Florida s trophy bass fishery to ensure Florida remains a state full of Fishing opportunities. The FWC conserves Freshwater resources through innovative management techniques to sustain healthy fish and wildlife populations, promote stakeholder trust, increase apprecia-tion of Florida s Freshwater ecosystems, and continue to provide anglers with more access and opportunities to Freshwater Fishing . Enhancing access and opportunities to Florida anglers will ensure that the Sunshine State continues to be the Fishing Capital of the World. Whether you choose to fish from shore, wade, paddle or motor out on one of our peaceful lakes or rivers, get out there and enjoy an unforgettable Freshwater Fishing experience. For more info on Freshwater Fishing in Florida, go to * 2021 2022 Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission2 When it comes to caring for your land and keepingyour John Deereequipment running, you need aproven s Ag-Pro.

9 Our growthcontinues but weare still a smallhometown dealer at heart whois proud to serve you! We re always searching for hardworking candidates tojoin our team. Ourpeople are highly trained so youcan expect sound advice and exceptional service frompeople who werebornand raised here. Our team will always come through for youtohelp you get those projects NW 135TH LN(352) 493-4121 CRYSTAL RIVER1113 SE US HWY 19(352) 651-5143 GAINESVILLE9120 NW 13TH ST(352) 367-2632 HASTINGS100 SOUTH DANCY ST(904) 692-1538 JACKSONVILLE8711 PHILIPS HWY (904) 240-0475 LAKE CITY692 SW ARROWHEAD TERR(386) 487-6444 LIVE OAK10055 HIGHWAY 129 S(386) 362-1113 MIDDLEBURG2520 COUNTY RD 220 (904) 272-2272 OCALA1695 NW 63RD ST(352) 351-2383ST. AUGUSTINE1950 STATE ROAD 16(904) 770-7559 TALLAHASSEEE2890 INDUSTRIAL PLAZA DR (850) 877-5522 ANGLER RECOGNITION PROGRAMSV ance MccullersSeason 8 ChampionBecome a Citizen-Scientist!

10 It starts with Fishing then a photo or video to document your 8+ lbs. catch on a scale, release it and share your catch details at This extremely valuable data influences FWC research projects such as genetic studies, the ecological health of Florida's fresh waterbodies, and the proper way to handle a trophy-sized bass for minimal data even assisted with the FWC's recent Freshwater black bass regulation change and it will continue to play a key role in man-agement decisions for Florida's fresh water-bodies. More details can be found at Goals: Create Citizen-Scientists of our anglers who are focused on trophy bass to help FWC better enhance, conserve, and promote tro-phy bass Fishing . Encourage catch-and-release of the biggest, oldest, most valuable bass. Promote Florida s Freshwater Fishing by col-laborating with anglers, Fishing -related busi-nesses and local communities.