Estimated read time: 5 minutes
Updated: 10/09/2026
Florida stone crab season is one of the state’s most distinctive saltwater harvests: you keep the legal claws and return the live crab to the water. For the 2026–27 season, the key dates remain October 15 through May 1, but the dates are the easy part. Claw size, trap registration, and how you handle the crab matter just as much.
Before you set a trap, dive for crabs, or remove a claw, check the current Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) rules. Claw size, bag limits, trap registration, trap construction, and handling all matter.
Florida Stone Crab Season at a Glance
- Season: October 15 through May 1. The season is closed beginning May 2.
- Minimum claw size: 2 7/8 inches, measured in a straight line from the elbow to the tip of the lower immovable finger.
- Recreational bag limit: 1 gallon of claws per person per day or 2 gallons per vessel, whichever is less.
- Egg-bearing crabs: Harvesting claws from egg-bearing stone crabs is prohibited.
- Recreational traps: Up to five stone crab traps per person.
- Trap registration: Recreational fishers age 16 and older must complete the no-cost annual stone crab trap registration before using traps, including people who are otherwise exempt from needing a fishing license.
When Is Florida Stone Crab Season?
Florida’s recreational stone crab harvest season opens October 15 and runs through May 1. For the upcoming season, that means October 15, 2026 through May 1, 2027.
FWC allows stone crab traps to be placed in the water 10 days before the season opens. For the 2026–27 season, that is October 5, 2026. Once the traps are placed, however, you may not tend them or begin harvesting until the season opens on October 15.
Stone Crab Claw Size, Bag Limits and Measurement
Only stone crab claws may be harvested. A legal claw must measure at least 2 7/8 inches.
The measurement is not taken across the widest part of the claw. FWC measures the claw in a straight line from the elbow to the tip of the lower immovable finger. The propodus is the large section of the claw that contains the movable and immovable fingers.
The recreational daily bag limit is 1 gallon of claws per person or 2 gallons per vessel, whichever is less. Claws may not be harvested from egg-bearing stone crabs.
Both claws may legally be harvested if both meet the minimum size. Even so, the best practice used by many harvesters is to take just one claw. A crab with one claw left can still feed and protect itself while the other grows back.
Licenses and Recreational Trap Registration
Recreational stone crab harvesters need to follow Florida saltwater fishing license requirements. If you use stone crab traps, there is an additional rule: recreational fishers age 16 and older must complete FWC’s no cost recreational stone crab trap registration each year, even if they are normally exempt from needing a fishing license.
After registering, you receive a unique stone crab trap registration number beginning with the letter “S.” Your full name, address, and registration number must be permanently attached to each trap and remain legible. Harvesters under 16 do not need the trap registration, but their traps must still be marked with their name and address.
Recreational Stone Crab Trap Rules
Florida allows up to five recreational stone crab traps per person. FWC also sets specific construction and use requirements.
- Maximum size: 24 × 24 × 24 inches, or 8 cubic feet in volume.
- Materials: Wood, wire, or plastic.
- Standard throat: 5 1/2 × 3 1/2 inches.
- Collier, Monroe and Miami-Dade counties: Throat may be no larger than 5 1/2 × 3 1/8 inches, and round throats are prohibited.
- Round throats elsewhere: No more than 5 inches in diameter.
- Degradable panel: 5 1/2 × 3 1/2 inches, made from cypress or untreated pine no thicker than 3/4 inch.
- Wire traps: At least three unobstructed 2 3/8-inch escape rings on a vertical side.
- Plastic or wood traps: One unobstructed 2 3/16-inch escape ring within a vertical exterior trap wall.
- Buoy: At least 6 inches and marked with a legible “R” at least 2 inches high. A buoy is not required for a trap fished from a dock.
Recreational traps must be pulled manually and only during daylight hours. You may only fish, set, or harvest from the traps registered to you, and traps may not be placed in designated navigational channels. FWC also notes that special regulations apply in Biscayne National Park.
Can You Harvest Stone Crab While Scuba Diving or Snorkeling?
Yes. FWC says the same recreational size, bag, egg-bearing, and gear rules apply when harvesting stone crab while scuba diving or snorkeling.
You may not use a device that punctures, crushes, or injures the crab’s body. FWC specifically lists spears, grabs, hooks, and similar devices as illegal gear for stone crab harvest.
For divers, that makes careful hand collection and correct claw measurement especially important. If a claw is undersized or the crab is carrying eggs, do not harvest it.
Why Claw Removal Technique Matters
Stone crabs can regrow lost claws, but survival isn’t guaranteed. FWC research found it depends on how the claw is removed, how the crab is handled, and the water temperature.
A proper break leaves the diaphragm at the body-claw joint intact, and that tissue helps seal the wound. A forced break that damages the joint or pulls muscle from the body can seriously injure the crab and raise the odds it won’t survive.
If you’re not confident in your technique, review FWC’s stone crab best-practices guidance before you harvest.
If stone crab season is part of your Florida water life, check out the Born of Water Stone Crab Dive T-Shirt.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does Florida stone crab season open in 2026?
Florida stone crab season opens October 15, 2026 and runs through May 1, 2027.
What is the minimum legal stone crab claw size in Florida?
The minimum legal claw size is 2 7/8 inches. Measure in a straight line from the elbow to the tip of the lower immovable finger.
What is the recreational stone crab bag limit?
The daily recreational limit is 1 gallon of claws per person or 2 gallons per vessel, whichever is less.
How many stone crab traps can one recreational harvester use?
A recreational harvester may use up to five registered stone crab traps.
Can you take both claws from a stone crab in Florida?
Yes, as long as both claws are at least 2 7/8 inches. Many harvesters still leave one so the crab can feed and defend itself while it regrows the other.
Can you harvest stone crab while scuba diving or snorkeling?
Yes. The same recreational size, bag, egg-bearing, and prohibited-gear rules apply to scuba and snorkel harvesting.
Sources
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission: Recreational Stone Crab Regulations
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission: Stone Crab Measurement
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute: Stone Crab FAQ
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute: Stone Crab Biology and Declawing
