What is Lobster Mini-Season?

Prior to the opening of Spiny Lobster season, the state hosts a two-day collection event for recreational divers. The last Wednesday and Thursday of July is known as “Lobster Mini-Season” (LMS), or “Mini-Lobster Season.” This event does not allow for the collection of small lobsters but is intended to give the recreational fisher the opportunity to hunt for lobster before the commercial trappers can deploy their traps. LMS is quite popular with locals and tourists alike. The season opens at 12:00am on Wednesday, July 29 and closes at 11:59pm on Thursday, July 30.

Fishing methods

All fishers between the ages of 16 and 65 must have an active saltwater fishing license as well as spiny lobster stamp. No trapping is allowed during LMS. Fishers may harvest lobster via snorkeling/freediving, SCUBA diving, or bullynetting. No knives, spears, or anything that can pierce the lobster is permitted. The lobsters must be landed whole (no wringing of the tail) until fishers return to the dock.

Limits

Catch limit is 6 per person, per day within Biscayne National Park and Monroe County. All other areas in Florida have a catch limit of 12 per person, per day. Minimum harvest size is a 76mm or 3-inch carapace and must be measured in the water. Egg-bearing or gravid female lobsters may not be kept.

Best practices

To stay safe on what will be a particularly busy two days on the water, here are a few best practices to follow.

On the boat:

• Make sure that there are a designated boat lookout and driver. Never drink and boat.
• Make sure that your boat’s registration is current, and that you possess all required safety equipment (flares, personal floatation devices, fire extinguishers, etc.)
• Keep plenty of water and snacks on board. This summer has already been quite hot.
• Use reef-safe sunscreen and re-apply frequently.
• If you have divers in the water, deploy a diver down flag. Conversely, as you are boating, keep an eye out for dive flags and maintain a safe idle speed within 300 feet of the flag.

In the water:

• If freediving or snorkeling, maintain one person on the surface if possible, watching the diver(s) below.
• If SCUBA diving, check your depth and pressure gauges frequently. Make sure that you are diving within your limits and the conditions. If starting to get low on air, come back to the boat.
• Take breaks and adequately hydrate.

Closed areas

Take note of the areas in southeast Florida that are closed to lobstering:

• The five Coral Reef Protection Areas in Biscayne National Park
• Biscayne Bay-Card Sound Lobster Sanctuary
• Dry Tortugas National Park
• Everglades National Park
• John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park
• Sanctuary Preservation Areas of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary

It’s important to remember that these regulations exist to keep our Spiny Lobster populations healthy into the future. Have fun and be safe during this year’s Lobster Mini-Season.

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