Orange Beach & Gulf Shores, Alabama Fishing Guide

Orange Beach and Gulf Shores are best known for red snapper and other reef fish caught over Alabama's huge field of artificial reefs. Inside Perdido Pass and the back bays, anglers catch redfish, speckled trout, flounder, sheepshead and pompano, and the surf and piers produce Spanish mackerel, pompano and whiting. Alabama runs its own red snapper season for private boats, and every reef-fish trip needs a Reef Fish Endorsement and a Snapper Check report.

📍 Orange Beach and Gulf Shores, on the Alabama Gulf coast just west of the Florida line. Boats run to the Gulf through Perdido Pass, which links Perdido Bay, Wolf Bay, Cotton Bayou and other back waters to the Gulf; Alabama Point and its rock jetties sit on the west side of the pass. Alabama's big offshore artificial reef zones lie south of the coast.

📅 Alabama Fishing Calendar — best months, closed seasons, bait & rigs →

Map: spots, ramps and marinas

★ Fishing hot spot · ● Boat ramp · ● Marina · ▭ Protected area (solid red = no fishing, dashed = fishing with rules)

Open the full Northern Gulf (Alabama to Texas) map →

Quick facts

Alabama Marine Resources Division (MRD) calls its program the largest artificial reef program in the U.S.; more than 25,000 artificial reefs have been put down, and the managed offshore reef zones cover more than 1,000 square miles of Gulf bottom.
Reef building here started with charter captains: in 1953 the Orange Beach Charter Boat Association asked for permission to sink 250 car bodies off Baldwin County.
NOAA Fisheries set Alabama's 2026 private-angler red snapper quota at 664,552 pounds. The 2025 season ran 196 days.
For reef fish, Alabama state waters reach 9 nautical miles from the beach; for all other species, 3 nautical miles.
The Gulf State Park Pier in Gulf Shores is 1,540 feet long and is billed as the second-longest pier on the Gulf.

What you can catch

Red snapper
Main offshore target on the artificial reefs. 2026: 2 per person, 16-inch minimum.
Gray triggerfish
Common on the reefs; has spring and summer closures, and catches must be reported in Snapper Check.
Greater amberjack
Reef and wreck fish; 34-inch fork length minimum, 1 per person, season follows federal waters.
Vermilion snapper (beeliner)
Common reef fish; 10-inch minimum, 10 per person.
Redfish (red drum)
Jetties, pass and back bays; 16-26 inch slot, 3 per person.
Speckled trout
Back bays and Alabama Point; best bite in fall.
Sheepshead
Jetties and bridge pilings; late winter and early spring is prime time.
Spanish mackerel and pompano
Spring arrivals along the beach, jetties and piers.

Month by month

January	Redfish and whiting from the surf; sheepshead around the jetties. Gray triggerfish closed.
February	Sheepshead spawning season starts. Gray triggerfish closed.
March	Sheepshead still strong; pompano and Spanish mackerel start to show near shore.
April	Cobia and mackerel arrive; pompano, Spanish mackerel and black drum near shore.
May	2026 private-angler red snapper season opened May 22, 7 days a week.
June	Federally permitted charter boats' red snapper season opened Jun 1, 2026. Gray triggerfish closed Jun-Jul.
July	Offshore trips for snapper, grouper and mahi; tarpon in the shallows. Gray triggerfish closed.
August	Red snapper and reef fishing offshore; billfish, tuna and wahoo farther out.
September	Bull redfish and a strong speckled trout bite begin inside and at the pass.
October	Federal charter red snapper season ended Oct 26, 2026. Fall trout and bull reds.
November	Flounder closed all month (Nov 1-30). Fishing slows as the month goes on.
December	Private red snapper season can run to Dec 31 if quota remains; redfish in the surf.

Tips

Before you keep any reef fish, get the Alabama Gulf Reef Fish Endorsement (anglers 16 and older) on top of your saltwater license.
Red snapper, gray triggerfish and greater amberjack must be reported in Snapper Check (Outdoor AL app or outdooralabama.com) before the fish leave the boat or the boat leaves the water.
Use non-stainless steel circle hooks with natural bait for reef fish, and keep a descending device or venting tool rigged and ready in federal waters.
Download MRD's reef coordinates (.gpx, .kmz or .xls) from outdooralabama.com before you run offshore.
At Alabama Point, fish the moving tide; the jetties can go an hour or two with little current.

Rules and license

Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Marine Resources Division (MRD); NOAA Fisheries / Gulf Council in federal waters · Official rules page ↗

Saltwater fishing license required for anyone 16 and older. Alabama residents 65 and older and lifetime license holders get a free Saltwater Angler Registry registration instead.
Reef Fish Endorsement required for anglers 16+ who possess reef fish (red snapper, triggerfish, amberjack, grouper and others).
2026 red snapper (private and state charter): opened May 22, 2026, 7 days a week until Dec 31 or until the quota is reached. 2 per person, 16-inch minimum. Federally permitted charter boats: Jun 1 - Oct 26, 2026.
Snapper Check landing report required for every trip that keeps red snapper, gray triggerfish or greater amberjack.
Redfish 16-26 inch slot, 3 per person. Speckled trout 15-inch minimum, 6 per person, only 1 over 22 inches (MRD handout, June 2025; check current rules).
Flounder: 14-inch minimum, 5 per person; no flounder may be taken or kept Nov 1-30.
Gray triggerfish (15-inch fork length, 1 per person) closed every Jan-Feb and Jun-Jul; amberjack and gag grouper open in state waters only when federal waters are open.
Goliath grouper and Nassau grouper may not be kept. Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge (about 7,000 acres) allows fishing from the beach, Little Lagoon and Gator Lake with an Alabama saltwater license; follow refuge rules.

Rules change. Always check the official page before you fish.

Boat ramps and marinas

The map above shows 23 boat ramps and 3 marinas from OpenStreetMap. Tap any dot for directions.

Barber Marina
Bear Point Community Boat Launch
Boat ramp near Terry Cove
Caribe Marina
Sportsman Marina

Sources

Checked October 2026. BigJoe does not invent facts: every number on this page comes from the sources listed above.