WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — Florida’s annual lobster grab is almost here, giving recreational divers two days to chase the state’s famously fast, spiny and clawless crustaceans before the regular season begins.
The 2026 spiny lobster sport season — better known as lobster mini season — runs Wednesday, July 29, and Thursday, July 30. The 48-hour event attracts divers, snorkelers and boaters eager to bring home what many Floridians affectionately call “bugs.”
But before jumping overboard with a net and tickle stick, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says harvesters need to know the rules.
In Palm Beach County and most of Florida, each properly licensed person who is actively harvesting may take up to 12 lobsters per day. The daily limit is six per person in Monroe County and Biscayne National Park.
That means passengers who are along for the ride cannot be used to increase a boat’s lobster haul.
Every lobster must have a carapace measuring more than 3 inches. The carapace is measured from the area between the lobster’s horns to the rear edge of its shell — and divers must measure their catch while still in the water.
Spiny Lobster mini-season begins Wednesday. Every lobster must have a carapace measuring more than 3 inches. The carapace is measured from the area between the lobster’s horns to the rear edge of its shell. (FWC)
Anyone harvesting lobster must carry a measuring device. Lobsters that fall short must be released immediately, alive and unharmed.
Consider it the underwater version of “measure twice, take once.”
Egg-bearing lobsters are also off-limits and must be returned to the water. Harvesters cannot use spears, hooks or other devices that could puncture, crush or otherwise damage a lobster’s shell or flesh. Recreational lobster traps are prohibited.
Lobsters must also be brought ashore whole. Removing the tail from the body while on the water is prohibited.
Unless exempt, harvesters need both a Florida recreational saltwater fishing license and a spiny lobster permit.
The rules become more restrictive in the Florida Keys. Night diving is prohibited in Monroe County during mini season, and harvesting is banned in several protected areas, including Everglades and Dry Tortugas national parks, John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park and designated no-take zones within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.
MIAMI – JULY 28: Jason Chockley prepares to dehead the 31 lobsters he caught on the first day of the two-day miniseason on July 28, 2010 in Miami, Florida. The 2026 spiny lobster sport season — better known as lobster mini season — runs Wednesday, July 29, and Thursday, July 30. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
The annual hunt has long been a major event along the South Florida coast. Previous CBS12 News coverage has shown boaters lining up before sunrise and divers gathering at popular locations such as Phil Foster Park in Riviera Beach. Local dive shops have reported weeks of brisk business as customers stock up on gloves, nets, gauges and other gear before the season opens.
But the rush to catch dinner can turn dangerous.
Two local men died while snorkeling in the Florida Keys during the 2025 mini season, and a juvenile was airlifted to a hospital following a separate incident, according to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office. Previous seasons have also included diving emergencies and boating accidents.
FWC urges boaters to wear life jackets while underway, avoid drinking while operating a boat, and keep a careful watch for divers.
Divers in open water must generally remain within 300 feet of a properly displayed divers-down flag or device. In rivers, inlets and navigation channels, they must remain within 100 feet. Boaters entering those areas are required to slow to idle speed.
After the two-day recreational scramble ends, lobster get a brief breather. Florida’s regular recreational and commercial spiny lobster season opens Aug. 6 and runs through March 31, 2027.
So grab the gauge, check the license and keep an eye on those antennae.
The bugs are quick, the rules are strict — and dinner is hiding under a rock.