Recreational lobster divers got the first crack at Florida’s favorite crustacean during the recreational mini-season July 25-26. Now lobster divers all over the state are amped for the opening of regular recreational and commercial spiny lobster season Aug. 6.
From Aug. 6 through March 31, the limit is six lobsters per person, per day. Possession of a measuring device is required at all times to ensure undersized lobsters are not taken. Measured under water, the carapace of any lobster harvested must be 3 inches or longer. The carapace is measured beginning at the forward edge between the rostral horns, excluding any soft tissue, and proceeding along the middle to the rear edge of the carapace. Egg-bearing lobsters must be released unharmed.
Harvest is prohibited during the regular season in the Everglades National Park, Dry Tortugas National Park, the lobster sanctuary in Biscayne Bay/Card Sound and the no-take areas of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.
For a complete list of regulations and instructions on how to properly measure a spiny lobster, go to MyFWC.com.