Louisiana's annual Southern Flounder closed season runs October 15 through November 30 for all commercial and recreational sectors. The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission eliminated previous bycatch exemptions as the Southern Flounder stock is currently overfished. The closure allows mature female flounder to escape inshore waters and spawn offshore.
The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department continues its fall trout stocking program for the third consecutive year, stocking over 2,000 trophy-sized brook and rainbow trout averaging 13-14 inches into Knapp Ponds #1 and #2, Lakes Paran and Shaftsbury, and East Creek. Fisheries biologist Lael Will notes this provides anglers fall foliage fishing and winter catch-and-release opportunities.
NOAA Fisheries announced the 2026 federal recreational red snapper season in the South Atlantic, opening October 9-11. The agency issued exempted fishing permits to Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina for extended seasons through October 22, allowing states to pilot new data collection and management strategies.
Montana FWP begins Chinook salmon snagging and archery seasons on Fort Peck Reservoir starting October 1st, with archery running through October 15th and snagging through November 30th. FWP fisheries staff are simultaneously conducting annual egg collection efforts through October, targeting fish near the dam using electrofishing to collect eggs for the Fort Peck Multispecies Fish Hatchery, with 220,000 salmon released in spring 2026 from fall 2025 collections.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources will hold a public meeting on October 15 at Vaughn Public Library in Ashland to discuss a recommended 22% reduction in lake trout quota for WI-2. DNR Lake Superior Fisheries Biologist Dray Carl will explain how increased sea lamprey and reduced recruitment necessitate the quota adjustment to maintain sustainable populations.
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has closed angling on the lowest reach of Eagle Creek from October 2 through December 31 to protect threatened coho salmon during low water flows. The closure aims to prevent illegal snagging and provide safe resting habitat for this economically and ecologically important species.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) invites public input on African pompano management through virtual workshops on October 7 and 12. Participants can learn about pompano biology, fishery status, and potential regulation changes, with feedback informing a proposed final rule hearing anticipated for March 2027.
NOAA Fisheries published a final rule implementing Amendment 62 to increase Gulf red grouper annual catch limits for commercial and recreational sectors through 2028. The rule removes the February-March seasonal closure for shallow-water grouper species in federal waters, effective October 2, 2026.
The Apalachicola Bay wild oyster harvest season opens October 1 through February 28, 2027, for commercial and recreational harvesters. Authorized harvesters may harvest from three reef sites with a seasonal limit of 2,560 bags, with recreational permits required and hand or tong harvesting only.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is hosting virtual public workshops on October 7 and October 12 to gather feedback on potential updates to African pompano management regulations. Workshops will cover pompano biology, fishery status, current regulations, and proposed commercial and recreational management changes, with feedback informing a final rule hearing anticipated for March 2027.
The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department has closed a small portion of Hatchery Cove on Lake Champlain from October 1 through November 30 to protect landlocked Atlantic salmon migrating to spawn in Hatchery Brook. Fish biologist Bernie Pientka stated the closure aims to reduce fishing pressure that disrupts salmon passage while maintaining access to the popular fishing spot.
NOAA Fisheries approved the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's revised Exempted Fishing Permit for a 14-day recreational Atlantic red snapper season running October 9-22, 2026, in state and federal waters with a one red snapper per person bag limit.
South Carolina's 2026-2027 recreational shellfish harvest season opens October 1, 2026, and runs through May 15, 2027. The South Carolina Department of Environmental Services manages public and state shellfish grounds, with harvesters required to obtain a Saltwater Recreational Fishing License and follow daily limits of two bushels of oysters and one-half bushel of clams.
NOAA Fisheries approved South Carolina's revised Exempted Fishing Permit, allowing a 14-day recreational red snapper season in federal waters from October 9-22. Anglers must obtain a free permit through Go Outdoors SC and use the VESL app to report harvest data. The limit is one fish per person per day with a 20-inch minimum size.
NOAA Fisheries announced the 2026 federal recreational red snapper season in the South Atlantic, opening for three days from October 9-11. The agency issued exempted fishing permits to Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina for extended seasons through October 22, allowing states to pilot test new data collection and management strategies.
ODFW's Marine Resources Program will host four public meetings October 5-8 in Tillamook, Brookings, North Bend, and Newport to gather input on 2027 recreational bottomfish and Pacific halibut seasons. Discussions will cover 2026 fishery progress, bag limits, season structure, and potential limited retention of yelloweye rockfish. The October 8 Newport meeting will also be available online via Microsoft Teams.
New York State's DEC hatcheries are stocking approximately 750,000 fish into state waters this fall, with NYS Police helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft dropping around 220,000 brook trout into 269 remote ponds across four counties to maintain Adirondack fisheries.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources will conduct nighttime walleye recruitment surveys from late September to mid-October on inland lakes to evaluate stocking success and natural reproduction. Surveys will be conducted collaboratively with tribal agencies and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service, with genetic analysis completed at Michigan State University.
Atlantic coastal states from Maine through Virginia are holding hearings to gather public input on Draft Addendum II to Amendment 3 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Menhaden. The proposal considers reducing the Chesapeake Bay Reduction Fishery Cap by up to 50% and distributing it more evenly throughout the fishing season. Public comments are accepted until October 9, 2026.
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) will conduct drone flights over the Quillayute and Hoh river systems beginning in late September 2026 to expand recreational fishery catch monitoring. The pilot project aims to improve efficiency and staff safety by counting anglers and gathering census data to inform salmon and steelhead management decisions.