Florida spiny lobster season has arrived

Last updated on January 6th, 2026 at 09:32 am

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Florida Lobster Regular Season: August 6-March 31.

The regular Florida spiny lobster season opens on August 6 and continues through March 31 for both recreational divers and commercial trappers in South Florida and the Florida Keys.

If you plan to visit the Florida Keys during the first few weeks of the regular season, be aware of elevated hotel rates, crowded restaurants and bars.

Marine law enforcement will be intense from now until at least mid-August, when recreational divers are expected to still be out in force.

Commercial trappers put out their traps beginning this weekend, marked by signature buoys unique to each trapper and license. Recreational divers should steer clear of marked buoys, which are vigorously protected by law.

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Rambler Tip: If you plan to visit the Florida Keys during the first few weeks of the regular lobster season, be aware of elevated hotel rates, crowded restaurants and visible law enforcement.

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Where do you find Florida lobster?

Florida lobster, known as the Caribbean spiny lobster or the West Indies spiny lobster, inhabits tropical and subtropical waters.

They are prevalent in the Keys but can also be found on offshore reefs in Dade and Broward counties and in some areas of the Gulf of Mexico.

Two large, cream-colored spots on the top of the second segment of the tail make spiny lobsters easy to identify. They have long antennae over their eyes that they wave to scare off predators and smaller antennae-like structures called antennules that sense movement and detect chemicals in the water.

It’s those smaller antennules, which extend forward below the eyes, that alert the lobster to approaching danger, causing it to scoot under rocks and coral outcroppings to hide, if they are not there already. The spiny lobster tends to spend daylight hours in hiding, emerging at night to feed.

So that’s where you look. Around structure.

With your “tickle stick”, find the lobster in their holes and slide it behind the lobster, urging him out of hiding. Once out of their hole, place your net behind the lobster’s tail and tap it on the head with the stick, prompting it to propel itself backward into the net.

It’s important to remember that the Florida lobster moves backward. Quickly.

Keeping it in the net is another matter. Adding to the challenge is the legal requirement to measure the lobster before you take it out of the water. Use gloves. You will undoubtedly lose a few of those feisty rascals before you get it right.

The daily recreational limit in Monroe County (which includes the Keys) is six (6) lobsters, whether it’s mini-season or the regular season. The bag limit during mini-season for the rest of the state is 12 but drops back to six for the regular season. These limits are strictly enforced.

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Stay Legal

Rambler Tip: Marine patrols are out in large numbers during mini-season and the first few weeks of the regular season. Fines are stiff for violations and may include jail time.

Expect to see Florida Fish & Wildlife officers, state park rangers and county sheriff’s deputies at boat ramps and in the water. Even federal law enforcement gets involved during mini-season, patrolling prohibited areas in and near federal waters.

Prohibited Areas: Spiny Lobster Sanctuaries

• John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, Key Largo
• San Pedro Underwater Archeological Preserve State Park, Islamorada
• City of Layton, Long Key
• Dry Tortugas National Park
• Everglades National Park
• Biscayne Bay/Card Sound Lobster Sanctuary
• No-take areas in the Florida Keys Marine Sanctuary 

License and lobster permit required

You are required to have a saltwater fishing license AND a lobster permit. To purchase a fishing license and lobster permit, go online to GoOutdoorsFlorida.com, call (888-FISH-FLORIDA), or download the app “Fish | Hunt Florida” (IOS or Android ) and purchase license and permits to store on your phone.

• Saltwater License: $17 for residents; $47 for non-residents.
• Lobster Permit: $5 (in addition to the saltwater fishing license)
• Annual Lobster Combo (includes saltwater license, lobster permit and $5 hard card): $27 for residents; $57 for non-residents.
• Snook and Lobster Combo (includes annual permits for Snook and Lobster and a $5 hard card for your wallet): $37 for residents; $67 for non-residents.

You are required to carry a measuring gauge on your person that will correctly measure the carapace. The minimum allowable size of the carapace (shell on the body, not including the tail) is three inches.

The shell is measured beginning at the forward edge between the rostral horns, excluding soft tissue, and proceeding along the middle to the rear edge of the carapace.

It’s against the law to harvest egg-bearing lobster of any size, and spear fishing for lobster is prohibited.

New state law

A new state law went into effect on July 1 requiring police to have probable cause to board your boat, but don’t kid yourself. It doesn’t take much to get their attention and establish probable cause.

For starters, police have a right to inspect your license, and if you don’t have one, that’s probable cause to board your boat and inspect your coolers.

Daily bag limits

Mini-season: The daily bag limit during mini-season is twelve (12) lobster per person, except in the Florida Keys and Biscayne National Park, where the limit is six (6) lobster per person.

Regular season: The daily bag limit during the regular season, which opens August 6, is six (6) lobsters per person.

Minimum size limit: Carapace length must be larger than 3 inches, measured in the water. Possession and use of a measuring device required at all times. It must be on your person, not in your boat.

Rambler Tip: Do not separate the tail from the carcass until after you return to shore. The entire lobster must be available for inspection while it’s on your boat or in your bag. Ignorance of this law is never accepted as an excuse. Fines are stiff and may even include jail time.

Marine patrols also look for people who want an edge by sneaking out early, harvesting ‘shorts’ or bringing back more than allowed.

Here are the rules and regulations from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

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Gear Checklist

Here’s a list of the basic gear you need for lobstering, which you can buy at most dive shops. We have included some quality suggestions available from Amazon. Should you make a purchase through these links, we may realize a small commission.

Snorkeling set — Fins, mask, snorkel.

Lobster dive kit — Lobster measuring gauge, a tickle stick, puncture resistant gloves, bully net, and mesh game bag. The measuring guage is required by law. If you don’t have one on your person while diving, your lobsters will be seized and you will be fined.

Diving flag — Anybody who dives in the Keys during lobster season will tell you there are far too many cowboys in motorboats. You should not be in the water without a boat diving flag, a towable buoy or a floating flag tied to your ankle so it trails you.

Night Diving is not allowed during mini-season. 

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Where to stay in the Florida Keys

Off-season rates at hotels and campgrounds in the Keys are hard to find during the two-day mini-season, and most hotels will require minimum stays. Your best bet for lower rates is after mid-August, when the lobster frenzy subsides.

Compare rates at Hotels.com:

• Key Largo Hotels
• Islamorada Hotels
• Marathon Hotels
• Lower Keys Hotels
• Key West Hotels

Camping in the Keys

RV campsites in the Florida Keys are always in high demand, and tent sites are few and far between. Bottom line: you need to plan ahead.

Here are two related articles that will help you find a campsite in the Keys at any time of year.

• Our guide to 18 RV campgrounds in the Florida Keys
• Tent camping in the Florida Keys: Slim pickin’s but doable

Cooking Florida lobster

Grillin’ and chillin’

When we used to gather in the Keys for Hobie Cat weekends during lobster season, we would snorkel for lobster in the flats near our motel, then bring our catch back, remove the tail and split the tail in half, baste the meat with butter and garlic and throw it on the grill or griddle.

Don’t overcook the lobster or it will dry out. Baste the meat frequently with butter and garlic, or olive oil infused with spices of your choosing. Cilantro and lime juice are perfect! About 7 minutes on a hot grill, or until the meat is opaque.

Toss the remaining carcass back into the ocean to feed the fish, or crush it up for chum and freeze it. (Better tell mom you put chum in the freezer. I learned that lesson the hard way!)

Boiling Lobster

1. Get a large pot of boiling water going, add Old Bay seasoning, and slide the whole live lobster (or just the tail) into the boil head first.
2. Turn down the heat and allow the lobster to simmer for 9-12 minutes, or until the lobster’s shell turns red (same as a Maine lobster).
3. Break the tail off the body and push or pull the meat out of the shell from the tail end with a fork, or cut the tail in half and scoop it out.
4. You can also split the whole lobster in half with a butcher knife, sprinkle with seasoning.
5. Brush with butter and lemon juice, or add it to a salad.

Another popular method: Pull it out of the boiling water early, cut it in half, and slap it on the grill for a minute or two until you get grill marks, but don’t overcook.

Freezing lobster tails

Lobster tails can be frozen and kept in the freezer for several months. Some seafood restaurants do just that to extend their lobster menu past the end of the season (March 31).

• Remove the tail and clean the digestive tract by slipping the lobster’s antenna up its butt at the bottom of the tail.
• Wrap it in freezer wrap, or in a plastic freezer bag, and freeze it immediately. I highly recommend adding a dash of water to the bag to keep the lobster from drying out.
• The faster you freeze the tail after removing it from the body, the better it will taste later.

How to cook Florida lobster: My local fish market in Deerfield Beach, Pop’s Fish Market, posted this excellent short video on Facebook about how to cook Florida lobster. https://fb.watch/e-fEJB8svR/

Useful resources

Spiny lobster recipes, South Florida SunSentinel (Gift Link)

Florida Lobster recipes on FreshFromFlorida.com, Florida Department of Agriculture.

News you can use

• Mile Marker Guide to the Overseas Highway
• The complete 2023-2024 Seafood Festival Calendar, FloridaRambler.com
• Legendary Road Food in the Florida Keys
• Our favorite beaches in the Florida Keys
• 11 great kayaking outings in the Florida Keys

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A final thought: Every year, deaths are reported during mini-season as a result of boating and diver mishaps. Be careful out there.