The two-day lobster miniseason is coming up. Here’s how to keep your catch, stay safe

David Goodhue
·6 min read
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Boaters, divers and snorkelers are expected to converge en masse on South Florida waters for a chance at scoring the delicacy that is the Florida spiny lobster.

The two-day “miniseason” for the crustaceans starts at the strike of midnight Wednesday, July 26, and ends at 11:50 p.m. Thursday, July 27.

It’s called miniseason because the short stretch comes ahead of the regular commercial and recreational spiny lobster season that runs Aug. 6 through March 31. Miniseason runs every last consecutive Wednesday and Thursday of July.

Braden Luongo, 9, concentrates as he twists and pulls the lobster to remove its tail during the final day of spiny tail lobster mini-season on July 25, 2019.
Braden Luongo, 9, concentrates as he twists and pulls the lobster to remove its tail during the final day of spiny tail lobster mini-season on July 25, 2019.

Miniseason is a statewide event, but Keys waters are a hot spot for lobster hunters. Expect many more cars and trucks on the road along the island chain, many pulling boats. There will also be more vessels on the water.

That’s why you’ll have a hard time finding locals who are ambivalent about it. Most fall into two camps. They either consider miniseason a welcome jolt to the slower summer tourism business — or a headache that ties up traffic along the Overseas Highway and creates hazardous conditions on the bay, ocean and gulf.

What to know before heading out on the water

Going on the hunt for spiny lobsters, which unlike their Maine lobster cousins are clawless, requires following a lot of laws you need to know before heading out.

“Miniseason is a great time for residents and visitors alike, and I want to ensure everyone is aware of the law, and behaving in a responsible, and safe, manner,” Monroe County Sheriff Rick Ramsay said in a statement last week.

The Keys sheriff’s office will have extra deputies on the road, boat ramps and on the Atlantic Ocean, Florida Bay and Gulf of Mexico to make sure everyone is following these rules.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Officer Joshua Stallings grabs a bucket from Reece Jahn Wednesday, July 28, 2021. Stallings was checking the size of the lobsters caught by Reece and his father Steve during the first day of lobster mini-season. All the lobsters on board were of legal size.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Officer Joshua Stallings grabs a bucket from Reece Jahn Wednesday, July 28, 2021. Stallings was checking the size of the lobsters caught by Reece and his father Steve during the first day of lobster mini-season. All the lobsters on board were of legal size.

The main law enforcement presence on the water, however, will be officers with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

And, following the law or not, there’s a good chance your vessel will get boarded by FWC officers or marine patrol deputies conducting resource and boat safety checks.

“Anyone caught with illegal lobster will be charged accordingly. Deputies will be looking for safety and wildlife violations,” Ramsay said.

A Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officer handcuffs a man after the officer and his colleagues said they found three men with more than 15 lobsters on Tuesday, July 24, 2018, an hour before the miniseason began on the sought-after crustaceans.
A Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officer handcuffs a man after the officer and his colleagues said they found three men with more than 15 lobsters on Tuesday, July 24, 2018, an hour before the miniseason began on the sought-after crustaceans.

Also on the law enforcement front, the sheriff’s office is cautioning local boaters and visitors bringing their vessels to the Keys to secure their belongings.

“Thieves may see miniseason as an opportunity,” Ramsay said. “Remove electronics, fishing, and diving gear from your boat and store valuable equipment somewhere secure.”

What are the rules of lobster miniseason?

▪ The bag limit for lobsters in the Florida Keys is six per person, per boat. The same limit applies to lobstering within Biscayne National Park in Miami-Dade County. For the rest of Miami-Dade and the rest of the state, the bag limit is 12 lobsters per person, per boat.

▪ Lobster hunters statewide need to have with them a Florida saltwater fishing license with a current lobster permit. Throughout the state, anglers must carry with them a gauge to measure the lobsters. They must be measured in the water if they are harvested while diving or snorkeling. The carapace, which is the body and head of the lobster — basically the part that is not the tail — must be greater than 3 inches long.

▪ Tails must measure more than 5 1/2 inches long. Lobsters must be brought to shore whole. Only once on shore can the tail and carapace be separated.

Miami resident and nurse Teresa Ripoll lends a hand in removing the tails from 60 lobsters caught by the team of five divers after their early start and return to Matheson Hammock Park Marina on Wednesday, July 28, 2021. There is a 12-lobster limit in Florida, except in Monroe County and Biscayne National Park, where the limit is six per person. The two-day lobster mini season started for residents and visitors to get their share of lobsters ahead of the commercial and regular season.

▪ All undersized lobsters must be returned alive and unharmed to the water.

▪ No egg-bearing female lobsters can be harvested. You can not spear or use any other tool that can pierce or break the lobster’s shell anywhere in Florida.

▪ In the Florida Keys and adjacent federal waters, there is no diving or snorkeling at night. People can still use a bully net to catch lobsters one hour after official sunset until one hour before official sunrise. Bully netting is using a basket net at the end of a pole and a light to spot and catch lobster at night from a boat.

▪ Recreational trapping is prohibited. All divers and snorkelers must display a diver down flag.

What areas are off-limits during lobster miniseason?

▪ The Biscayne Bay and Card Sound Spiny Lobster sanctuaries; anywhere within the city limits of Layton, a small incorporated municipality less than a mile in size near the Middle Keys; Dry Tortugas National Park; Everglades National Park.

▪ The 18 Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Special Preservation Areas. They are marked off by yellow buoys.

▪ The four Special-Use Research-Only Areas of Conch Reef, Tennessee Reef, Looe Key Patch Reef and Eastern Sambo The two Ecological Reserves of Western Sambo and the Tortugas John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park in Key Largo.

Are there special lobstering rules in the Florida Keys?

In Monroe County and in the municipalities of Marathon, Key Colony Beach, Islamorada, Layton and Key West, there is no diving or snorkeling within 300 feet of a residential shoreline, in any man-made or private canal or in any public or private marina.

Can you have a cold one while hunting for lobster?

While it’s legal to drink alcohol on a boat, it is illegal to operate a vessel under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The FWC recommends that people planning to have booze on their boat designate a designated driver who will not drink.

What happens if you break the lobster rules?

Breaking rules is not a good idea, especially in Monroe County where the State Attorney’s Office is known to seek jail time for people who do so, and judges often oblige. The possible penalty for each undersized lobster is 60 days in jail, a $500 fine, or both, according to the Monroe County State Attorney’s Office.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Officer Guillermo Cartaya asks a woman scuba diving in Biscayne Bay to get back in her boat before he boards the vessel to perform a routine check on Wednesday, July 25, 2018, the first full day of Florida’s lobster miniseason.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Officer Guillermo Cartaya asks a woman scuba diving in Biscayne Bay to get back in her boat before he boards the vessel to perform a routine check on Wednesday, July 25, 2018, the first full day of Florida’s lobster miniseason.

Violating some of the rules, like harvesting egg-bearing females or using a spear gun to hunt lobsters, puts you at risk for the same penalties.

More information on lobster miniseason

The Monroe Tourist Development Council started a public awareness campaign ahead of miniseason, which includes a website people can visit for rules and regulations, boating and diving safety tips and recommendations on harvesting lobsters while being aware of the sensitive Florida Keys marine environment.

Redland resident Sergio Garcia lends a hand in removing the tails from 60 lobsters caught by the team of five divers after their early start and return to Matheson Hammock Park Marina on Wednesday, July 28, 2021. Theres a 12-lobster limit in Florida, except in Monroe County and Biscayne National Park, where the limit is six per person. The two-day lobster mini season started for residents and visitors to get their share of lobsters ahead of the commercial and regular season.

Also, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will have an informational booth at Key Largo’s Waldorf Plaza, mile marker 100 on the ocean side of U.S. 1, in front of Divers Direct. FWC officers and other staff will demonstrate how to properly measure lobsters and provide the latest rules and regulations.The booth is scheduled to operate between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. from Friday, July 21, through Tuesday, July 25.

For more information about the rules or about how to obtain a saltwater fishing license, go to myfwc.com.