What/When:

• The 2026 recreational fishing season for golden tilefish in federal waters of the South Atlantic started on January 1, 2026, and will end at 12:01am on March 27, 2026.
• NOAA Fisheries predicts that recreational golden tilefish landings will reach the recreational annual catch limit of 2,741 fish for the 2026 fishing year by March 27, 2026.

Why This Announcement is Happening:

This announcement complies with the current accountability measure which states NOAA Fisheries will project the length of the recreational fishing season for golden tilefish based on catch rates from the previous fishing year and announce the end date of the recreational season.

Estimates indicate recreational landings for the 2026 fishing year will reach the 2026 recreational catch limit. Therefore, NOAA Fisheries announces that the end date of the recreational season for golden tilefish is March 27, 2026, and the recreational sector for golden tilefish in the South Atlantic federal waters will be closed from March 27, 2026, through December 31, 2026.

This bulletin provides only a summary of the existing regulations. Full regulations can be found in the Federal Register or at https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-50/chapter-VI/part-622/subpart-I .

Sign Up for Text Message Alerts - Find Out About Immediate Openings and Closures

NOAA's Text Message Alert Program allows you to receive important fishery-related alerts via text message (SMS). Standard message & data rates may apply. You may opt-out at any time. Comments sent by any other method (such as postal mail), to any other address or individual, or received after the end of the comment period, may not be considered.

Text alerts you may receive include:

• Immediate fishery openings and closures
• Any significant changes to fishing regulations that happen quickly

Sign up for one or more of the following groups:

• Gulf of America (formerly Gulf of Mexico) Recreational Fisheries Related Alerts
  • Text GULFRECFISH to 888777
• Gulf of America (formerly Gulf of Mexico) Commercial Fisheries Related Alerts
  • Text GULFCOMMFISH to 888777
• South Atlantic Recreational Fisheries Related Alerts
  • Text SATLRECFISH to 888777
• South Atlantic Commercial Fisheries Related Alerts
  • Text SATLCOMMFISH to 888777
• Caribbean Fisheries Related Alerts

Quick Glance Contact List for the NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office

Permits Mailbox: The Permits Office in St. Petersburg, Florida, now has a Permits mailbox in the front lobby (263 13th Ave. South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701). You can now drop off original permits for permit transfers. Envelopes with information labels will be provided so that your documents can be attached to the correct application. The mailbox will be checked daily. For more information, contact the Permits Office at 877-376-4877.

Media Contact: Allison Garrett, 727-551-5750

Recreational Fishing Coordinator: Sean Meehan, 727-385-5202