The mini-season of spiny lobster fishing begins in Florida

In Florida the mini-season—also called sport season— for the spiny lobster (Panulirus argus) begins this Wednesday, July 29, 2026: 48 hours of recreational fishing before the official season opens on August 6. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) sets these two days each year on the last consecutive Wednesday and Thursday of July, open to residents and visitors.

When is it and what changes compared to August?

The 2026 sports window is July 29 and 30. After that express weekend, the regular season begins on August 6 and runs until March 31, according to the official website of the FWC. The mini-season brings together boats, divers and fishermen from the south of the state—especially the Florida Keys—because it allows lobsters to be caught when they are still more accessible on reefs and shallow bottoms.

Catch limits: 6 in Monroe and Biscayne, 12 in the rest

Be careful with the daily bag rules. During the mini-season, in Monroe County and Biscayne National Park the limit is 6 lobsters per person per day. In the rest of florida waters the limit rises to 12 per person per day, confirm the FWC and guides compiled by local media such as WPTV and WFLX.

The FWC also distinguishes possession limits outside the water: on July 29 you cannot have more lobsters than your daily quota; On July 30, the maximum on land can be double the daily quota (for example, 12 in Monroe or 24 in the rest of the state), as long as you respect what was legally caught that day.

License, permit and mandatory measurement

To participate you need, except for legal exemptions, the recreational saltwater fishing license and the spiny lobster permit from the FWC. The annual permit costs $5 for residents and non-residents, according to the rate published on the license website.

Each lobster must be measured in the water: the shell must be larger than 3 inches and you must carry an appropriate measurer. It is prohibited to capture females with eggs, separate the tail from the body while at sea, and use recreational traps. Capture is only by hand or with a trap, indicates the state brochure for July (eRegulations).

Extra restrictions in the Keys

In Monroe County, night diving for lobster fishing is prohibited during the mini-season (the FWC defines diving as swimming on or below the surface). There are also closed harvest zones, including parts of the Everglades, Dry Tortugas, the Biscayne Bay/Card Sound lobster sanctuary and protected areas of the national park, according to FWC-aligned summaries in WPTV.

In summary

When? July 29-30, 2026. How many? 6/day in Monroe and Biscayne; 12/day in the rest of Florida. What do you need? Salt fishing license + FWC lobster permit. And then? Regular season from August 6, with the usual quota of 6 lobsters per person in most areas.