Rules & Regulations
Cast net laws in Florida
Legal with restrictionsInformational only — this is not legal advice
Fishing regulations change, sometimes with little notice, and can vary further by county, water body, or season within a state. This page is a starting point for research, not a substitute for the law. Always verify current rules directly with your state's fish & wildlife agency or TakeMeFishing.org before you fish. BasicGear is not responsible for citations, fines, or gear seizures resulting from reliance on this page.
Last verified: 2026-07-08 — regulations are re-checked periodically; see the date above before assuming this is current.
Summary
Cast nets may take an approved species list only (mullet, pompano, sheepshead, shrimp, and others) — up to 2 nets per vessel, 1 per angler fishing on foot.
Size, mesh & licensing
- Max size
- 14 ft radius (Florida's rule calls this "stretched length": horn to leadline)
- Mesh
- No maximum mesh size, but a 500 sq ft mesh-area cap applies nearshore/inshore
- Water type
- Saltwater (freshwater cast-net use has no stated size cap)
- License
- Yes — Florida recreational saltwater fishing license
Recommended BasicGear net
Cast Net — Basic Series — Every BasicGear cast net (up to 12 ft radius) fits comfortably under Florida's 14 ft cap — Pancake Gold or Blue (8–10 ft) is a good step up if you want maximum coverage.
Official source
Florida FWC / Fla. Admin. Code R. 68B-4.0081↗
High confidenceVerified directly against the primary Florida Administrative Code rule text as a spot-check source for this project.
Last verified: 2026-07-08
See all 50 states, or shop the cast net lineup for Florida.