Florida Keys · July
Lobster Mini Season
Lobster mini season, officially the two-day sport season, is the last consecutive Wednesday and Thursday of every July, when recreational divers get first crack at Florida spiny lobster before commercial traps go in the water. In 2026 that is July 29 and 30.
It is the busiest boating week of the year in the Keys. Ramps back up before sunrise, hotels fill with coolers and dive flags, and FWC officers check just about every boat coming in. Know the rules before you leave the dock.
Quick Facts
- Dates
- 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, July 29 through 11:59 p.m. Thursday, July 30, 2026
- Bag limit
- 6 lobster per person per day in Monroe County and Biscayne National Park; 12 elsewhere in Florida
- Size
- Carapace larger than 3 inches, measured in the water
- License
- Florida saltwater fishing license plus a spiny lobster permit
- Night diving
- Prohibited in Monroe County during the two days
- Regular season
- August 6, 2026 through March 31, 2027
The rules that get people ticketed
Most citations written during mini season come down to the same handful of mistakes:
- · Measure in the water, not in the boat. The carapace has to be larger than 3 inches, and you must carry a gauge while you harvest.
- · Lobster come back to the dock whole. Separating the tail from the body on the water is illegal in state waters.
- · Egg bearing females go back, every time. Check the underside before it goes in the bag.
- · Legal gear means your hands, a net, a tickle stick or a snare. No spears, no hooks, and nothing that punctures the shell.
- · Everyone harvesting needs a Florida saltwater fishing license and a spiny lobster permit unless legally exempt. Officers check at the ramps and bridges.
Where you cannot take lobster
Closed areas are where a good day turns into a court date. During the sport season these waters are off limits:
- · John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, closed to lobstering during the two-day sport season
- · Everglades National Park, Dry Tortugas National Park and the Biscayne Bay-Card Sound Lobster Sanctuary, closed year round
- · No-take zones inside the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, including the sanctuary preservation areas marked by yellow buoys
- · The city limits of Layton during the sport season
Safety, because every year somebody does not come home
Mini season has a body count almost every year, and it is rarely the lobster that causes it. Most deaths are medical events in the water or divers pushing past their training and their air supply. If you have not been diving since last July, be honest about your fitness and stay shallow.
On the surface, fly your divers-down flag and stay close to it. Boats must idle within 300 feet of a flag in open water, but with thousands of hulls running the same shorelines, assume the other guy has not seen you. Hydrate, watch the afternoon storms, and put someone sober at the helm.
A little local courtesy goes a long way
The Keys live with mini season the way Key West lives with Fantasy Fest, mostly with patience. Keep the music and spotlights down in residential canals, do not flip coral heads or wreck the reef chasing a bug, give other divers room, and take what you will actually eat. The fishery only stays this good because most people play it straight.
Want more on Lobster Mini Season?
Official details from the organizers, plus Keys Weekly's coverage from the newspaper.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is lobster mini season 2026?
July 29 and 30, 2026, from 12:01 a.m. Wednesday through 11:59 p.m. Thursday. It is always the last consecutive Wednesday and Thursday of July.
How many lobster can I keep in the Keys?
Six per person per day in Monroe County and Biscayne National Park. Elsewhere in Florida the sport season limit is 12 per day. On the water, you can only possess one day's limit.
What license do I need?
A Florida saltwater fishing license and a spiny lobster permit, available through FWC's Go Outdoors Florida site, at tax collector offices and at most bait shops. Some exemptions apply, so check FWC if you think one covers you.
How do I measure a lobster?
Measure the carapace, the main body shell, while the lobster is still in the water. It must be larger than 3 inches. You are required to have a measuring gauge with you.
Can I dive for lobster at night during mini season?
Not in Monroe County. Night diving is prohibited in the Keys during the two-day sport season.
When does the regular lobster season open?
August 6 through March 31, every year. Same size and license rules, and the bag limit is 6 per person per day statewide.
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