What are the rules for lobstering?
- Taylor B.
- May 8, 2018
- 3 min read
FWC website rules boiled down to what you need to know
Lobster Season Dates
The mini-season is always the last consecutive Wednesday and Thursday of July each year. For the 2018 mini-season, the season begins at 12:01 am on Wednesday, July 25th and ends at 12:00 midnight on Thursday 26th.
The regular season for the 2018-2019 season begins 12:01 on August 6th and ends at 12:00 midnight on March 31st.
Main 5 rules for catching lobster
1. The lobster’s carapace, (shell part from in between the eyes to before the tail starts) must be greater than 3 inches in length, and you must have a measuring device for the lobster.
To accurately measure a lobster, see the image below. (Measuring devices can be found here.)
2. You must measure the lobster in the water. It’s a good idea to measure again once on the boat.
3. If you come across an egg-bearing female, you must release it unharmed. An example of an egg-bearing female can be seen in the picture below.
4. The lobster must be in its whole condition until the lobster is on the shore. Tails can only be separated on shore.
5. There is a bag limit of 6 lobster per person per day for Monroe County and Biscayne National Park.
How our team goes through this process:
Once a lobster is caught, it is measured, and the tail is checked for eggs by the diver in the water. If it has eggs or is too small, it is released.
If it’s the right size and egg free, it’s transferred to our team on the boat who measures and check for eggs again, once confirmed legal, the lobster is then put in the live well and a written count of lobsters on board is kept.
We found this process is most efficient for knowing how many lobsters come from each spot for future reference, and if we get stopped by FWC or the coast guard, they will request this information.
Additional facts that you need to know:
If you are over the age of 16, chances are you need a fishing permit with a lobster stamp. You can purchase one here; we recommend the “lobster combo” permit for $27. This license is only a year long and needs to be renewed annually. More details on a license and exemptions can be found here.
You should have this license on you at all times, which can be either a physical or digital copy. A piece of paper, plastic card, or on the “Fish|hunt fl” app on your phone are all appropriate forms. We keep our license on our phone with the app, its free and you can’t lose it.
Once on shore, the lobster tails can be separated, and when separated the tails must be 5-1/2 inches.
It is illegal to place a “lobster condo,” otherwise known as anything that could provide habitat or shelter for lobster.
Anytime a diver enters the water; a dive flag must be flown where it is wholly visible to any passing boat. If you need a flag one can be purchased here .
Any vessel operating within 100 feet of a dive flag must be at idle speed.
During mini-season night diving is prohibited. “Night” is considered 1 hour after official sunset to 1 hour before official sunrise.
Diving within 300 feet of improved residential or commercial shoreline, any manmade or private canal, any public or private marina Is prohibited. This is enforced at most four days before mini-season, and the first five days of the regular season, this is a rule under local jurisdiction and enforced in Marathon, Key Colony Beach, Islamorada, Layton, Key West, and Unincorporated Monroe County. More details can be found here
Dive means to wholly or partially submerge one’s body while equipped with a mask or goggles, whether or not any underwater breathing apparatus is used.
Harvesting lobster is prohibited in:
During Mini season:
John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park
During mini and regular season:
Everglades National Park
Dry Tortugas National Park
No-take areas in
the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary
Biscayne Bay/ Card Sound Lobster Sanctuary (A more comprehensive list of prohibited lobster harvesting places can be found here)
These rules are according to myfwc.com, if you want more detail on anything they can be found there. We love the mini-season and want this season to continue the sport, and economy of the keys, please be respectful of the ocean and its creatures, it’s their home, not ours. Also, FWC and the coast guard STRONGLY enforces these rules, and they won’t have sympathy if you aren’t familiar with the laws.
-Taylor B.
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