Is red snapper open in Texas?
Live status for · rules verified 2026-08-14
How the three seasons fit together
Red snapper off Texas runs on three clocks. Texas state waters — everything within 9 nautical miles of the beach — are open every day of the year, four fish per person at 15 inches. Federally permitted charter boats fish the Gulf on the federal for-hire season: in 2026 that's June 1 through October 25, two fish at 16 inches. Private boats running past 9 miles fish under a Texas-managed federal season that opened May 22, 2026 and closes when TPWD calls it — in 2025 that ran deep into November.
Practical read: book a charter between June and late October and snapper is on the table; the rest of the year, state-water trips and the year-round bay fishery carry the load. A descending device is required gear on Gulf reef fish (DESCEND Act) — every verified captain on our fleet carries them.
Book it with a verified snapper captain
Galveston party boats and six-pack charters on IronJetty are licensed, insured, and vetted — and their calendars show live availability through the close of the season.
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