Stone Crab Season Opens October 15 in Florida
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has announced that the 2025–2026 recreational and commercial stone crab season opens Tuesday, October 15, and runs through May 1, 2026. The season will close on May 2.
Harvesters are reminded that the minimum claw size limit is 2 7/8 inches, and each trap must include an unobstructed escape ring measuring 2 3/16 inches in diameter located within a vertical exterior trap wall.
Recreational Trap Registration
All recreational harvesters age 16 and older—including those typically exempt from a fishing license—must complete a no-cost annual trap registration at GoOutdoorsFlorida.com. Once registered, harvesters will receive unique trap numbers that must be clearly and permanently displayed on each trap, along with the owner’s full name and address.
Harvest Limits and Regulations
Daily bag limit: 1 gallon of claws per person or 2 gallons per vessel, whichever is less.
Limit of five traps per person for recreational use.
Claws may not be taken from egg-bearing crabs.
Crabs must not be harvested with devices that can puncture, crush, or injure the body (such as spears or hooks).
Care should be taken when removing claws to avoid injuring the crab.
FWC encourages harvesters to remove traps not in use to prevent “ghost fishing,” where unused traps continue to capture marine life.
For detailed information on regulations, trap specifications, and licensing, visit MyFWC.com/Marine and select “Recreational Regulations” → “Crabs, Lobster and Other Shellfish” → “Stone Crab.”
You can also stay current on Florida fishing regulations by downloading the Fish Rules app from the App Store or Google Play.
