Florida Lobster Season Dates: When It Opens & Closes (2026-2027)
Florida gives spiny lobster two harvest windows: a two-day mini-season in late July and a long regular season that carries you through the winter. Get the dates wrong and you're either poaching out of season or missing months of great diving. Here are the exact open and close dates for 2026-2027, plus when the season is closed and when it's actually worth going.
The two seasons at a glance
Florida splits the recreational year into two distinct openings:
- Mini-season (sport season): July 29-30, 2026, a two-day head start for recreational divers.
- Regular season: August 6, 2026 to March 31, 2027, nearly eight months.
- Closed season: April 1 to August 5, no harvest.
Both seasons apply statewide, in the Keys and everywhere else in Florida. The dates are the same; only the bag limits differ in a few places.
Mini-season (sport season)
Mini-season is always the last consecutive Wednesday and Thursday of July, which makes it July 29-30 in 2026. It runs from 12:01 a.m. Wednesday through midnight Thursday. The idea is to give recreational divers a two-day jump before the regular season opens to everyone, including commercial trappers, on August 6.
It's a fun, chaotic two days, but it's far from your only shot. For the full rundown of mini-season rules, limits, and tips, see the mini-season 2026 guide.
Regular season
The regular season opens at 12:01 a.m. on August 6, 2026 and closes at midnight on March 31, 2027. That's almost eight months of lobstering, and honestly the best-kept secret in the sport: smaller crowds, settling conditions, and plenty of time to get good. If you can't make the late-July circus, you're not missing your only chance, you're skipping the busiest two days of the year.
When the season is closed
Spiny lobster season is closed from April 1 through August 5. That window covers the spring and the heart of the summer spawning period, when so many lobster are carrying eggs. No recreational harvest is allowed during the closed season, period.
Bag limits by season
The dates are statewide, but the bag limits aren't quite uniform:
- Regular season (statewide): 6 per person, per day.
- Mini-season, most of Florida: 12 per person, per day.
- Mini-season, Monroe County (the Keys) and Biscayne National Park: 6 per person, per day.
The size limit is the same in every season: the carapace must be larger than 3 inches, measured in the water. For the complete rules, see the Florida lobstering rules guide.
When you should actually go
"When is it legal" and "when is it good" are different questions. The whole regular season produces if you work it right, but a few patterns help:
- Early season (August): lobster are concentrated on the oceanside reefs after the summer spawn, so the reef produces well right out of the gate.
- Fall (October-November): often the prime stretch, as cooling water spreads lobster back into the nearshore habitat and thins the crowds.
- Winter (December-February): still productive if you follow lobster into deeper, more stable water on the cold snaps.
This is all driven by water temperature, which we break down in the water temperature guide.
Looking ahead: 2027 mini-season
Because mini-season is fixed as the last consecutive Wednesday and Thursday of July, you can pencil in next year now: the 2027 mini-season falls on July 28-29, 2027, with the regular season reopening August 6, 2027. (Always confirm with the FWC closer to the date.)
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Frequently asked questions
When does Florida lobster season start in 2026?
The two-day mini-season is July 29-30, 2026. The regular season opens August 6, 2026 and runs through March 31, 2027.
When does Florida lobster season end?
The regular season closes March 31. For 2026-2027 that's March 31, 2027. Lobster can't be harvested again until the next mini-season in late July.
Can you catch lobster in the spring and summer in Florida?
No. The season is closed from April 1 through August 5. The only harvest windows are the two-day mini-season in late July and the regular season from August 6 to March 31.
About Lobsterly
Lobsterly is built by divers, for divers, as the ultimate field guide to lobstering in Florida. The app maps 3,000+ proven spots from Haulover Inlet to Key West, every no-take zone, and 4,500+ Florida artificial reefs, all offline. One-time purchase, no subscription. We keep these guides current and check the regulations against the FWC.
Related guides
Regulations change. Always confirm the latest dates on the FWC spiny lobster page before you dive. Last updated June 2026.
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