Draw the butter: It's time for spiny lobster season
MIAMI -- Attention, lobster lovers! The 2023 spiny lobster season opens with the two-day recreational mini-season on July 26 and 27.
The regular commercial and recreational lobster season is set to start Aug. 6 and will run through March 31, 2024.
"My family and I look forward to spiny lobster season every year along with thousands of other Floridians," said Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) Chairman Rodney Barreto. "It's a great time to get out on the water with loved ones. I hope everyone takes care to practice safe boating and make sure to do your part to protect Florida's coral reefs."
The daily bag limit per person this season is 6 spiny lobster per person in Monroe County and Biscayne National Park and 12 per person in the rest of Florida.
The lobster's carapace must be longer than 3″ when measured in the water. Anyone participating in harvesting spiny lobster must have a measuring device at all times.
The spiny lobster, often called 'bugs', inhabit tropical and subtropical waters of the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico.
Normally, the best time to catch a Florida spiny lobster is at night since lobsters stay in their dens during daylight hours to avoid predators and only come out after dark to look for food.
Click here to learn more about bag limits, size limits, where you can harvest, and other regulations.
Click here to get your recreational license and spiny lobster permit.
If you are bully netting this season, keep lights directed toward the water and avoid shining them at houses or people along the shoreline. Please also be considerate of others by keeping sound levels low when near shoreline residences.