2018 Lobster Mini Season Key West

July 19th 2018 – Here in Key West Next week is lobster mini-season, aka sportsman season, again. Annually, this opening takes place on the last consecutive Wednesday and Thursday in July. Properly licensed snorkelers and divers are able to take up to six legal lobsters per day in Monroe County waters.

About 25,000 lobster loving visitors come down to the Florida Keys to try and catch these crustacean critters. And with that, twice the number of Florida Fish and Wildlife officers, including undercover agents and police dogs, that typically patrol the area will be patrolling on and off the water to make sure that people stay safe and honest.

With all of the extra boating activity happening, please be careful out there; be sure to have a dive flag and dive or snorkel with a friend.  And make sure to follow the rules. Check out the FWC brochure on Lobster regulations: FWC_spinylobster_brochure.

On a personal note, if  any of you dive in the canal in front of my house for lobsters (which is not only rude but illegal by the way), I will be putting in a call to the local law enforcement agencies to have you arrested!

Once you catch a lobster, there are many ways to prepare them. Check out some of our lobster recipes, for some great ideas on cooking the Florida Spiny Lobster. You can also take your lobsters to one of the several restaurant that will cook your catch and they will be happy to prepare them for you; check out my restaurant reviews.

Coming up, The Key West Lobsterfest is an awesome event for lobster fans! Local restaurants set up booths up and down Duval Street and serve up lobster in a variety of ways. You might even find me and my Maltese, Indiana Bones walking around!

To see what else is happening on the island during your visit, check out our Key West Events Calendar to see other upcoming special events. For more information about the fun side of Key West… things to do and see in our island city, go to our Key West Web Site.