The Florida spiny lobster, Caribbean spiny lobster, rock lobster, or langouste is a clawless lobster found throughout the coastal U.S. from North Carolina to Texas. Whatever you call it, it's highly sought after along the Florida coast during the two-day mini-season.
Florida spiny lobster meat is generally considered firmer and slightly chewier than the soft, buttery texture and taste of Maine lobsters, according to Key Largo Fisheries. Lobsters in the colder northern waters grow slower, resulting in more tender, sweeter meat than in Florida waters.
The 2025 Florida lobster mini-season starts at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, July 30, and ends at 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, July 31.
Photo by Nicole Danna
When Is Mini Lobster Season 2025?
The season is scheduled for the last Wednesday and Thursday of July each year, according to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). This year, that falls on July 30 and 31.Why Is There a Lobster Mini-Season?
According to the U.S. National Park Service, Florida established its lobster mini-season in 1987. The aim was to allow recreational divers to harvest lobsters before the regular August–March spiny lobster season commences and commercial crews take over with their traps.Do You Need a License for Lobster Mini-Season?
Unless exempt, a recreational saltwater fishing license and a lobster permit are required to harvest spiny lobster.More information about the required licenses is available on the FWC website.
What Areas Are Off Limits?
John Pennekamp Coral Reed State Park in Key LargoEverglades National Park
Dry Tortugas National Park, about 70 miles west of Key West
Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary
Biscayne Bay-Card Sound Lobster Sanctuary, the southern portion of Biscayne Bay from east of Kendall to southeast of Homestead
Coral Reef Protection area in Biscayne National Park
What Is the Legal Limit for Lobsters During Mini-Season?
The daily bag limit is six per person for Monroe County and Biscayne National Park, according to FWC, and 12 per person for the rest of Florida.Possession limit on the water: Same as above, six per person in Monroe County and Biscayne National Park and 12 per person for the rest of Florida.
Possession limit off the water: On July 30, it equals the daily bag limit of six per person in Monroe County and Biscayne National Park and 12 per person for the rest of Florida. The daily bag limit doubles on July 31 to 12 per person in Monroe County and Biscayne National Park and 24 for the rest of Florida, according to FWC.
