Lobster Season in the Florida Keys

There are few things as decadent as dining on lobster. The delicate, sweet meat is a true delicacy, and no visit to the Florida Keys is complete without sampling a perfectly cooked crustacean in a seafront restaurant.

If you’re visiting the Florida Keys in late July, you might be pleased to know that this is when the mini-season takes place where you can catch your very own lobsters!

Before you try your luck with lobster season in the Florida Keys, you’ll need to note a few things first. In this post, we’re sharing all there is to know about lobster season so you’re ready to catch, clean, cook, and eat your very own lobster dinner.

When is Florida Keys Lobster Season?

The regular lobster season begins on August 6 and ends on March 31, right before lobster mating season begins. During those months, recreational harvesting is allowed, but you'll have to compete with commercial lobster fishers. During the last consecutive Wednesday and Thursday of every July, lobster mini-season in the Florida Keys opens up. The two-day recreational lobster mini-season lets people go out on the water to harvest their lobsters before the commercial lobster fishing nets go out. This is the best time to head out and bag your very own catch of the day.

Top Tips for Catching Lobsters

You can identify the spiny lobster with the two cream-colored spots on top of their second tail segment. They use the long antennae over their eyes to scare off predators. Smaller antennae-like appendages below their eyes allow them to sense movement and possible danger in the water. They don't have pincers, and they have ten sharply-pointed legs. When catching lobsters, keep in mind that they move backward very fast. Make sure you position your net behind them after gently tapping them with your tickle stick. Spiny lobsters are also quite shy, so you'll have to look closely for them in their hiding spots, usually in sand flats, holes, or shallow reefs. Keep an eye out for their antennae feeling through the sand. While it may be fun to compete with other anglers for lobsters, be extremely wary out on the water. Some people get pretty greedy with their catches, and some areas can get crowded fast. If you're going to dive underwater, use a diving flag or stay close to your boat. While police forces do watch several populated harvesting spots closely, be careful nonetheless.

Spiny Lobster Season – Where to Find Them

The Caribbean spiny lobster is also known as the West Indies spiny lobster. You'll usually find them in tropical and subtropical waters and some areas of the Gulf of Mexico. Spiny lobsters tend to spend daylight hours hiding in holes, under rocks, or in coral outcroppings and artificial reefs. They then emerge at night to feed, making night diving a popular pursuit for lobster harvesters. Monroe County has the largest lobster population in Florida. However, lobster harvesting is strictly limited. Bag limits are smaller, and it's illegal to lobster dive at night. The Middle Keys are prime harvesting grounds for lobster too. Reef sites like The Aquarium, The Garden, Fish Bowl, the Bomb Holes, the Seven-Mile Bridge, Herman's Hole, and Yellow Rocks are all excellent places to try finding some good catches. Lobster charters are available in Key West, Islamorada, and Biscayne Bay where experts will guide your harvesting expedition. If you want to bypass some of the lobster harvesting frenzies, Key Largo might be a fun location to try. You can also ask local divers for some unnamed reefs and sand flats. Some places are no-zones during the lobster season in the Florida Keys — we’ll cover that in the next section.

Is a Lobster Permit Required?

All boaters are required to have a recreational saltwater fishing license. You can acquire these online through the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission website. Make sure your license has a Florida spiny lobster tag.

Please note that lobster harvesting is not permitted in the following locations during the sport season:

Everglades National Park

No-take areas in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary

Dry Tortugas National Park

The five Coral Reef Protection Areas in Biscayne National Park

What Are the Limits for Florida Keys Lobster Season?

Depending on where you fish for lobsters, make sure you know the daily bag limit for how many you can catch. In Monroe County and Biscayne National Park, the possession limit is six lobsters per person, but elsewhere in Florida, the limit is 12 per person.

In terms of size limit, the spiny lobster has a carapace that’s a little longer than three inches, which is the minimum carapace length. Always measure the lobster while it’s still in the water.

If you encounter an egg-bearing female lobster, you can catch and release the lobster but not harvest it. Once more, do not harvest these lobsters since they must remain in the water to hatch their eggs.

What Tools Do You Need to Catch Lobsters?

Harvesting lobsters requires special equipment for the safety and comfort of both you and the crustaceans. You’ll find plenty of shops around the Florida Keys that sell the following pieces of equipment. If you already have some of these items, make sure they work before taking them to the water.

Here’s what you’ll need to catch your own lobsters:

A measuring device:

You'll need a measuring device to be sure you're catching the correct-sized lobster. Note that local law enforcement requires you to carry a measuring gauge. If not, you'll receive a fine, and your lobsters will be confiscated.

Tickle stick:

You'll need this tool to coax the lobsters out of their holes. Tap the lobster gently on their tail with it. Doing so will help the lobster move backward into either your catching net or your safely gloved hands.

Game bag:

To temporarily store the lobsters you harvest, you'll need a mesh game bag. Most bags may only fit two to three lobsters. As a bonus, look for bags with locking mechanisms or ways of attaching the bag to a belt.

Diving tag:

If you're going to snorkel or scuba far away from your boat, we recommend tying a diving flag to your ankle. The rest of your party can track you from above water with this tool. Plus, other people boating nearby will see you and not drive over the top of you. Depending on where you swim, it may be required to wear one.

Gloves:

They don't call it a spiny lobster for nothing. A good pair of fishing gloves should protect your hands from the rough exterior of the lobster's body. You might also look for lobsters in shallow reefs, where coral can give you minor injuries without protection.

Lobster net:

If you're going to catch a lobster, you'll need something to carry it out of the water. Find a net that has a corrosive-resistant frame explicitly meant for saltwater use.

Snorkeling set:

To see the lobster better, a snorkeling set may be necessary too. Unless you’re sticking to shallow water, you should consider getting a pair of flippers, too. You can find some good sets at local swimming stores or for hire in various locations around the Florida Keys.

Find the Perfect Vacation Home for Lobster Sport Season

For the most memorable lobster season, find the perfect Marathon vacation rental to call home while you catch crustaceans. We have lots of options with fully-equipped kitchens and BBQ grills that are ready for your lobster catch of the day.

And be sure to check out the other types of sport and backcountry fishing you can do while visiting the Florida Keys!