Gag Grouper
Mycteroperca microlepis
Partially verified
Handling & regulations: Regionally, 'grouper' is often used generically in offshore fishing reports — this entry anchors that name to one specific, real species. Virginia's own regulations (4VAC20-1120) explicitly list gag grouper among the 17 species defined as 'grouper' and set a recreational harvest/possession limit of 1 fish per person; no Virginia-specific minimum size was found in the section reviewed — check current VMRC regulations directly before harvesting.
Identification
Long, compressed (laterally flattened) body compared to more rounded grouper species, Adults: dark brownish-gray above, lighter below, with faint wavy markings along the sides, Juveniles: much lighter overall with distinctive dark brown or charcoal 'kiss-mark' blotches along the sides
Where this fish fits
These are discovery categories describing where anglers realistically fish for this species, not a guarantee this project has confirmed regional access at every listed setting — see the linked locations below for this project's own actually-sourced spots.
- Typical season
- Warmer months, at offshore wrecks and hard-bottom structure off the Virginia coast — Virginia sits at the northern edge of this species' documented Atlantic range (NOAA's own range description runs from North Carolina south), so it is a real but less consistent catch than further south.
- Habitats
- Offshore wrecks and hard-bottom/reef structure
- Food use
- Commonly eaten
Data not yet verified.
This site hasn't checked for a fish-consumption advisory covering this species yet. That is not the same as confirmed safe — check current official guidance before eating your catch.
Seasons, size limits, and possession limits change and vary by water body. Always check the current regulations at the current regulations page before you fish.
- Bait & lures
- Live bait and large soft plastics/jigs fished on or near bottom structure
- Beginner difficulty
- Challenging
Part of this record is confirmed against an official source; other parts are not. See the notes below for exactly which.
The 1-fish recreational possession limit and the fact that Virginia's own administrative code (4VAC20-1120-20/-30) explicitly names and regulates gag grouper are directly confirmed via Virginia's own regulation text — real, direct evidence of Virginia regulatory relevance even though NOAA's own species page describes the documented range as starting at North Carolina (the northern edge of this species' range, not a Virginia-core fishery). Identification features are directly confirmed via NOAA's own gag grouper species page. Habitat/bait notes remain general regional angling knowledge, not individually fact-checked.