When fall rolls around in Southwest Florida and Key West, locals and visitors alike look forward to one of the region’s most mouth watering traditions: stone crab season. Known for their sweet, tender claw meat and sustainable harvesting practices, stone crabs have become a celebrated delicacy along Florida’s Gulf Coast and the Keys. Whether you’re interested in trying your hand at catching them or simply want to understand the process before indulging at a local restaurant, here’s MOST everything you need to know about stone crab fishing in the Sunshine State.
Florida’s stone crab season runs annually from October 15 through May 1. These dates are carefully regulated by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) to ensure the crabs are protected during their summer spawning months. This ensures a steady population for years to come and allows the crabs time to regrow their claws, which can regenerate multiple times throughout their lives.
What makes stone crab fishing unique is that only the claws are harvested. When a crab is caught, one or both claws of legal size (minimum 2 7/8 inches) may be removed, and the crab is then safely returned to the water. Because crabs naturally regenerate their claws, this practice makes stone crab fishing one of the more sustainable seafood industries in Florida. Though harvesting both claws are discouraged, as it lessens the possibility of survival and of course, future harvesting. This is because that re-growing a claw can take anywhere from a few months to a year, depending on the crab's age. But, it will then take an adult crab up to three years for that claw to get back to about 95% of its original size. Additionally, the reason for taking only one claw at a time, is that if a crab has had both claws removed, in a majority of the times, the crab cannot survive predators or successfully feed itself.
Commercial crabbers typically set out traps baited with fish in shallow coastal waters and check them regularly throughout the season. Recreational fishers are also welcome to participate, though they’re limited in the number of traps and claws they can keep.
If you’ve ever tasted fresh stone crab, you know why they’re so highly prized. The meat is tender, sweet, and best enjoyed chilled with classic mustard sauce, melted butter, or even straight from the shell. Because the crabs are cooked immediately after harvest to prevent spoilage, dining on stone crab claws in Southwest Florida or Key West guarantees you’re getting them at their peak freshness.
Though, make sure that you double check with the State of Florida FWC, as laws and requirements can change often.
Stone crab fishing isn’t just about seafood—it’s about community, sustainability, and tradition. In Southwest Florida and Key West, the start of stone crab season is celebrated much like the first day of lobster season in the Florida Keys. Whether you’re enjoying claws at a dockside restaurant, browsing a local seafood market, or heading out on the water to catch your own, stone crab season offers a delicious way to connect with Florida’s coastal heritage.
Hero Image Photo Credit: Fred Hsu on en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped for detail.
