Alabama Marine Resources limits under Ala. Admin. Code 220-3-.30. Slot limits mean both a minimum and a maximum, and federal seasons control red snapper and amberjack harvest.
Red Drum (Redfish)
3 per day; one over-slot bull is allowed per boat per day.Legal size16–26 in slot. Nothing under 16 in or over 26 in may be kept.
Ideal keeper
18–24 in — the classic 'on the half shell' fish.
Let it go
Every bull red over 26 in. They're the breeding stock, and the meat is coarse and wormy compared to a slot fish.
Measured by total length.
Speckled Trout
6 per day.Legal size15–22 in slot; one fish in your limit may exceed 22 in.
Ideal keeper
16–19 in — sweet, tender fillets.
Let it go
Gator trout over 22 in (beyond your one allowed) and any fish that's bleeding from the gills should be kept, not released — it won't survive.
Measured by total length.
Southern Flounder
5 per day. Alabama closes flounder harvest each November for the spawning run — check before you gig.Legal size14 in total length minimum.
Ideal keeper
15–20 in — enough meat for four fillets.
Let it go
Anything at or just under 14 in, and doormats over 24 in (all big flounder are females).
Measured by total length.
Red Snapper
2 per person per day, and only during the announced state/federal season.Legal size16 in total length minimum (recreational).
Ideal keeper
18–24 in — great eating and easy on the release mortality math.
Let it go
Undersized fish and anything you catch out of season — use a descending device or vent tool, or barotrauma kills them at the surface.
Measured by total length.
Mangrove Snapper (Gray Snapper)
10 per person per day within the 20-fish aggregate snapper limit.Legal size12 in total length minimum (Gulf recreational).
Ideal keeper
13–18 in — plenty of meat and still great table fare.
Let it go
Anything under 12 in, and vent or use a descending device on fish pulled from deeper reefs so they make it back down.
Measured by total length.
Sheepshead
8 per day (reduced from 10 in 2025).Legal size12 in fork length minimum.
Ideal keeper
14–18 in — thick shoulders, sweet crab-fed meat.
Let it go
Anything under 13 in; there's very little meat once you get past that armor plating.
Measured by fork length — nose to the fork of the tail.
Hardhead Catfish
No limit.Legal sizeNo size or creel limit.
Ideal keeper
Nothing. Not worth the sting or the cleaning.
Let it go
All of them. Use pliers or a dehooker — the dorsal and pectoral spines carry venom and a puncture usually means a doctor visit.
Measured by n/a
Whiting (Southern Kingfish)
No daily limit.Legal sizeNo minimum size in Alabama.
Ideal keeper
10 in and up — that's where you get two real fillets.
Let it go
Anything under about 9 in; there's nothing on them. They're abundant, so keep only what you'll eat fresh.
Measured by total length.
Atlantic Croaker
No daily limit.Legal sizeNo minimum size in Alabama.
Ideal keeper
10–14 in. A 12 in croaker is a genuinely good panfish.
Let it go
Under 10 in — or keep the small ones on ice for cut bait instead of the fillet table.
Measured by total length.
Gafftopsail Catfish
No daily limit.Legal sizeNo minimum size in Alabama.
Ideal keeper
14 in and up (roughly 1 lb+) — skin them, don't scale them.
Let it go
Small ones under about 12 in; not worth the handling risk for the yield.
Measured by total length. cut the venomous dorsal and pectoral spines off before cleaning.
Blacktip Shark
1 shark per person per day, 2 per boat, within the state limit. A federal HMS permit is required in federal water.Legal sizeLarge coastal sharks including blacktip: 54 in fork length minimum in Alabama waters. Sharks must be landed with head, tail and fins attached.
Ideal keeper
A single 54–70 in fish, bled and iced immediately, if you actually plan to eat it.
Let it go
Everything under 54 in, all pregnant females, and any fish you can't handle quickly. Cut the leader close, keep it in the water, and never drag a shark up the dry sand for a photo.
Measured by fork length — snout to the v of the tail.
Bonnethead Shark
Counts against the daily shark limit — 1 per person, 2 per boat.Legal sizeNo minimum size in Alabama (bonnethead is exempt from the large coastal shark size rule).
Ideal keeper
A 2–3 ft fish bled and iced on the spot.
Let it go
Most of them. They're a light-tackle sport fish and the flats population is easy to dent.
Measured by fork length.
Atlantic Sharpnose Shark
Counts against the daily shark limit — 1 per person, 2 per boat. Must be landed with head, tail and fins attached.Legal sizeNo minimum size in Alabama (Atlantic sharpnose is exempt from the large coastal shark size rule).
Ideal keeper
A 3–4 ft fish, bled and iced on the spot if you plan to eat it.
Let it go
Anything you can't ice immediately, and pregnant females in early summer. Cut the leader short and let it swim.
Measured by fork length.