Gag Grouper
Mycteroperca microlepis
A wreck and hard-bottom grouper at the northern edge of its range off Virginia — a summer offshore catch, less consistent than farther south.
Typically present
Illustration: Jack Hornady / NOAA Fisheries, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration — Public domainLong edge is 640px, below this project's 1600px preference. Accepted because it is the best rights-clear, correctly-identified photo found for this species — see SPECIES_PHOTO_AUDIT.md for the source search record.
- Habitat
- Offshore waters
- Methods
- Offshore
- Difficulty
- advanced
- Eating
- good
Identification
Look for
- 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
Local waters
Offshore wrecks and hard-bottom/reef structure
Primarily a boat fishery here — typically fished by offshore boat.
When to fish
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.
Water temperature
The water, not the calendar, sets the season here — a warm October or a cold snap moves these bands.
Water temperature and the seasonsHow to catch it
Primarily a boat fishery here — typically fished by offshore boat. Technique notes for this species have not been written yet; the baits and rigs below are the documented starting points.
Bait & lures
- Live bait and large soft plastics/jigs fished on or near bottom structure
On the table
Commonly eaten — always confirm current legal size/possession limits with VMRC or DWR before keeping.
- 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.
Where to try
