Florida’s stone crab season is almost here! Both recreational and commercial harvesters can start catching these tasty crustaceans on October 15th. The season will remain open through May 1st, closing on May 2nd.
Remember that there’s a minimum claw size limit of 2 7/8 inches. Also, all recreational and commercial stone crab traps, whether they’re made of plastic or wood, must have an unobstructed escape ring measuring 2 3/16 inches in diameter. This ring must be located within a vertical exterior trap wall.
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Recreational harvesters aged 16 and older need to register their traps online each year. This is a free registration and can be completed at GoOutdoorsFlorida.com. After registering, you’ll receive unique trap registration numbers that must be attached to each trap, along with your full name and address. Make sure this information is legible and permanently attached.
When harvesting, take care not to injure the crab while removing the claws. It’s illegal to take claws from egg-bearing stone crabs, and you cannot use any device that could puncture, crush, or injure the crab’s body, such as spears or hooks.
Recreational harvesters can take up to 1 gallon of claws per person per day, or 2 gallons per vessel, whichever is less. You can use a maximum of five stone crab traps per person. When you’re not actively fishing, remove your traps from the water to avoid ghost fishing, which can harm marine life.
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Stone crab regulations are the same in both state and federal waters. For more detailed information on harvesting stone crabs, trap specifications, commercial regulations, and licensing, visit MyFWC.com/Marine.
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