Miami Angler Cited for Undersized Mutton Snapper Near Islamorada

Yordan Gonzalez Lara, 21, of Miami had a mutton snapper in his possession near Mile Marker 77 when a Monroe County Sheriff's Office marine deputy measured the fish on April 5 and came up two inches short. The fish read 16 inches. Florida law requires 18.

The stop occurred during a routine marine resource enforcement patrol in the Islamorada area. The deputy issued Gonzalez Lara a mandatory notice to appear in court, a citation that cannot be resolved by mail. A second charge for fishing without a valid license accompanied the size violation.

Florida sets the mutton snapper minimum at 18 inches total length in both Atlantic and Gulf waters, with a recreational bag limit of five fish per person within the broader 10-fish snapper aggregate. That 18-inch floor has been in effect since January 1, 2017, when the FWC raised it from 16 inches after South Atlantic fishery managers raised concerns about overexploitation, particularly around fish that aggregate to spawn. April sits at the front edge of that spawning window in the Keys, making the stretch of water around Islamorada a priority patrol zone in the weeks ahead.

Deputies measure total length as a straight line from the most forward part of the head with the mouth closed to the farthest tip of the tail with the lobes compressed together while the fish lies flat on its side. There is no rounding up. A fish that reads 16 inches on a measuring board is two inches from legal, regardless of how it looks at the gunwale.

A mandatory court appearance in Monroe County means Gonzalez Lara will face a judge rather than a fine schedule. Penalties for possession of an undersized reef fish can include fines, court costs and mandatory completion of an FWC fisheries education course. The separate license charge carries its own exposure: a first offense is a non-criminal infraction with a civil fine between $50 and $100, plus the cost of the license itself. A second offense on the license charge is classified as a misdemeanor. Failing to appear in court after receiving a mandatory citation can trigger an additional fine exceeding $500 and up to 60 days in jail.

Monroe County Sheriff's Office marine deputies and FWC officers patrol the waters around Islamorada throughout the year, checking licenses and measuring catches at bridges, boat ramps and on the water. Current regulations for mutton snapper and all other reef fish are published on FWC's saltwater recreational fishing regulations page. Before keeping any snapper, lay the fish flat on a hard surface, close the mouth, press the tail lobes together and measure tip to tip with a ruler or tape measure. Anything below 18 inches goes back.