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For Florida divers, the last Wednesday and Thursday of July are a holiday. The 2026 lobster mini-season — officially the spiny lobster sport season — gives recreational divers a two-day head start before the commercial fleet drops a single trap. It is crowded, it is competitive, and it is an absolute blast. Here’s how to do it legally and come home with a limit.
2026 lobster mini-season dates
Mini-season is always the last consecutive Wednesday and Thursday of July:
- Sport (mini) season: July 29–30, 2026
- Regular 8-month season: Aug. 6, 2026 – March 31, 2027
Bag and size limits
- Bag limit: 6 per person per day in Monroe County (the Keys) and Biscayne National Park; 12 per person per day everywhere else in Florida.
- Size: carapace must be larger than 3 inches, measured in the water — you must carry and use a measuring gauge at all times.
- No egg-bearing (“berried”) females — if you see eggs under the tail, put her back. It’s illegal and it’s the future of the fishery.
- Lobster must remain whole in the water (don’t separate the tail until you’re ashore where allowed).
Key extra rules: night diving is prohibited in Monroe County during mini-season, and there’s no harvest in protected areas (John Pennekamp, parts of Biscayne, sanctuaries, etc.). Always confirm the current rules on the FWC spiny lobster page before you splash.
Licenses you need
You need a Florida recreational saltwater fishing license AND a spiny lobster permit (unless you’re specifically exempt). Get both squared away well before the 29th — lines and websites get slammed the week of.
Gear that makes the difference
You don’t need much to bag your limit, but two items are required by law and the rest decide whether it’s a frustrating morning or a full bag.
Required by law: a lobster gauge (you must measure the carapace — over 3 inches — in the water) and a divers-down flag or float displayed while you’re down. Don’t leave the ramp without both.
The catch kit: a tickle stick to coax bugs from the hole, a net to scoop them, and a snare as backup for deep ledges. New to it? The all-in-one starter kit bundles the stick, net, gauge, gloves, and bag in one buy. Add a mesh catch bag and puncture-resistant gloves — spiny lobster earn their name.
Your dive setup: a low-volume mask and snorkel, a pair of fins, a narrow-beam dive light, a UPF rash guard for the sun, and a cheap save-a-dive kit so a snapped strap doesn’t end your morning.
How to find and catch them
- Look for antennae, not whole lobster. Bugs tuck into ledges, under coral heads, and in rubble — you’ll usually spot the long antennae sticking out first.
- Approach low and slow. Come at the hole from the front, ease the tickle stick behind the tail, and nudge them forward into your waiting net. Rush it and they rocket backward into the rocks.
- Measure first, grab second. Gauge it in the water before it goes in the bag — shorts and berried females go back, no exceptions.
- Dive smart. Mini-season has the highest boat traffic of the year. Fly your flag, stay near it, watch the weather, and never dive alone.
Where to go
The Florida Keys are the epicenter — Key Largo to Key West — but the Atlantic reefs off Miami and the Palm Beaches and the Gulf ledges off the southwest coast all produce. The 12-per-person limit outside Monroe County means mainland reefs can be very worth your time. New to the Keys? Start with our Florida Keys fishing guide.
After the dive
While you’re on the reef, the bottom is loaded with summer mangrove snapper, and the offshore weed lines hold mahi-mahi — bring a rod and make it a full day.
Bottom line: Get your license and lobster permit early, carry your gauge, respect the size and berried-female rules, and dive safe in the crowds. Do it right and July 29–30 ends with the best surf-and-turf of your year.
Gear Up for Mini-Season
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