Download Monroe
County Lobster Brochure
Lobster Mini Season Dates:
2018:
July 25th - July 26th
Book
your
Florida
Keys Hotel early because the islands fill up for this annual
popular event.
The two day spiny lobster sport
season is always the last consecutive Wednesday and Thursday
in July. It begins at 12:01 am on the last Wednesday in July and
ends at 12:00 midnight on the last Thursday in July. The
bag limits are 6 per person per day
for Monroe County and Biscayne National Park, and 12 per person per
day for the rest of Florida. The possession limit on the water
is equal to the daily bag limit, and off the water is equal to the
daily bag limit on the first day, and double the daily bag limit on
the second day. Possession limits are enforced on and off the
water. Spiny lobster has a minimum size limit that must be larger
than 3" carapace, measured in the water. A reminder that
possession and use of a measuring device is required at all times,
and night diving is prohibited in Monroe County (only during the
sport season). A recreational saltwater license and a crawfish
permit are needed for harvest.
Regular spiny lobster season is
ALWAYS August 6 through March 31
The bag limit is 6 per person per day.
Harvest of lobster is prohibited in John Pennekamp Coral Reef State
Park during the sport season. Harvest is also prohibited
during both the 2-day sport season and regular season in Everglades
National Park, Dry Tortugas National Park, and no take areas in the
Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Call (305) 743-2437 or visit
www.fknms.nos.noaa.gov for information about no
take areas in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Please
call the MarathonLaw Enforcement office at (305) 289-2320 for more
lobster harvesting regulations for Monroe
County.
LOBSTER BAG LIMITS |
|
|
Monroe County |
Biscayne National Park |
Elsewhere |
2-Day Sport Season |
6 per person per day |
6 per person per day |
12 per person per day |
|
Regular Season (August 6 – March
31) |
6 per person per day |
6 per person per day |
6 per person per day
|
Regardless of
what species you are fishing for, bag limits are only for properly
licensed individuals and those people exempt from license
requirements who are actively harvesting, and those people
harvesting may not exceed their individual bag limit and take
someone else’s bag limit. That is, people (including children) who
are not actively harvesting or are not properly licensed (if a
license is required) may NOT be counted for purposes of bag
limits.
Species of
Lobster found in Florida
From Left
to Right: Panulirus argus (Caribbean spiny lobster), P.
lauvicauda
(smooth tail spiny lobster), P. guttatus (spotted
spiny lobster
|