The Fishing Report

Fishing seasons & conditions by region

Mutton Snapper Lutjanus analis

Mutton Snapper Size, Range & Diet

Typical size	16–26 in, 4–12 lb
Maximum	up to 37 in and about 30 lb
Lifespan	up to 40 years
Range	Warm western Atlantic from the Carolinas south through Florida, the Keys, the Bahamas, the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean, most abundant off South Florida and around the Antilles.
Habitat	Adults hold on coral reefs, ledges and rubble bottom in roughly 80–310 ft; juveniles use seagrass flats, mangrove creeks and shallow bays.
Diet	Shrimp, crabs, snails, squid and small fish such as mullet and grunts, picked off the bottom day and night.

Sizes are typical rod-and-reel and documented maximum figures, not size limits — see the regulations links below for the rules where you fish.

How to Identify a Mutton Snapper

Olive-to-reddish body, often brick-red on the lower sides
Small black spot high on the side below the rear dorsal
Blue iridescent lines/streaks below and behind the eye
Pointed (V-shaped) anal fin; strong canine teeth
Red eye; reddish tail margins

Tell it apart: The single black spot high on the side plus blue lines under the eye and a pointed anal fin separate mutton from gray snapper; unlike redfish the spot is mid-body (not on the tail base), and unlike red grouper it has a forked tail and canine teeth.

Easily confused with: Mangrove Snapper, Redfish, Red Grouper

Side by side: Mutton Snapper vs Mangrove Snapper, Mutton Snapper vs Red Grouper, Mutton Snapper vs Red Hind, Mutton Snapper vs Redfish

How to Catch Mutton Snapper

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Peaks in late spring and early summer around spawning aggregations; fish whole baits on a long-leader knocker rig on deep reefs.Gear5/0 circle hooks Knocker rigs 50 lb fluorocarbon leader
Spring is the window, when muttons group up on the deeper shelf edge; a whole ballyhoo or live pilchard on a long fluorocarbon leader fished right on the bottom, with the least weight the current allows.Gear5/0–7/0 circle hooks 40 lb fluorocarbon leader Egg sinkers

When & Where Mutton Snapper Are in Season

Peak Good Fair Slow

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
South Florida & the Keys Nearshore
Puerto Rico & the U.S. Virgin Islands Nearshore

Mutton Snapper Regulations

FloridaFlorida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC)South Atlantic Fishery Management CouncilSAFMC Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Gulf Council)GMFMC Puerto RicoPuerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DRNA/DNER), Office of Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries Licences and Permits U.S. Virgin IslandsVirgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources (DPNR), Division of Fish and Wildlife Caribbean Fishery Management CouncilCFMC NOAA Fisheries Southeast Region — current U.S. Caribbean regulationsNOAA Fisheries

Always check local regulations — seasons, size, and bag limits vary by state and species, and change year to year. When in doubt, release.

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