Black Bass regulations in Florida

· Freshwater · 2026 season

Is it a keeper? Black Bass has no size limit today, with a daily limit of 5.

Black Bass size limit, season and daily limit

Where	Season	Size limit	Daily limit
Florida freshwater (statewide; FMAs and listed waters differ)	Open year-round	no minimum for largemouth; only 1 fish 16 in or longer; Suwannee/shoal/spotted/Choctaw 12 in minimum	5 black bass combined, only 1 of 16 in or longer

Exact Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission wording

Season: Open year-round
Size: only one of which may be 16 inches or longer; no minimum for Florida/largemouth bass; Suwannee, shoal, spotted, Choctaw bass 12 inch minimum
Limit: 5 Black bass (including Florida, largemouth, Suwannee, spotted, Choctaw and shoal bass, individually or in total)
Inland waters — as printed: “5 Black bass (including Florida, largemouth, Suwannee, spotted, Choctaw and shoal bass, individually or in total), only one of which may be 16 inches or longer in total length. There is no minimum length limit for Florida bass or largemouth bass. No person shall kill or possess any Suwannee, shoal, spotted, or Choctaw bass that is less than 12 inches in total length.”

Source: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, captured 2026-10-01 (2026 season).

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About the black bass

Genus of fishes

Micropterus is a genus of North American freshwater fish collectively known as the black bass, which belong to the sunfish family Centrarchidae of order Centrarchiformes. They are sometimes erroneously called "black trout", but the name trout more correctly refers to certain potamodromous members of the family Salmonidae.

Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Regulations on this page come from Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, not Wikipedia.

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Frequently asked

What is the size limit for Black Bass in Florida?

no minimum for largemouth; only 1 fish 16 in or longer; Suwannee/shoal/spotted/Choctaw 12 in minimum in Florida state waters.

How many Black Bass can you keep per day in Florida?

5 black bass combined, only 1 of 16 in or longer.

When is Black Bass season in Florida?

Open year-round.

Is my Black Bass a keeper today?

Black Bass has no size limit today, with a daily limit of 5.