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Key West Lobster Trips
Crazy for crustaceans? Key West lobster season is open, so hop on one of our lobster charters. Captain Nate knows the best spots to find the biggest Florida lobsters. So make sure to plan some Key West lobster fishing the next time you’re on-island.
For our lobster trip, we head out to some beautiful shallow waters and patch reefs that are home to tons of lobster. All gear is provided; just come ready to get in the water and have fresh spiny lobster for dinner!
When is Lobster Season in Key West?
The State of Florida has two official lobster seasons: Sport Season and Regular Season. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) carefully regulates fishing in Florida, including lobster fishing.
Key West Mini Lobster Season
When is lobster season in Key West? Sport Season, or Mini Season, is a two-day annual event for recreational lobster catchers. It happens on the last consecutive Wednesday and Thursday in July, running from 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday to 11:59 p.m. on Thursday. For example, Mini Lobster Season Key West 2023 was held on July 26th and 27th
Regular Lobster Season in Key West
The normal Spiny Lobster Key West season opens on August 6th and lasts until March 31st for recreational and commercial fishermen. The dates are the same every year.
How Do You Catch Lobster?
There are many ways to catch lobster, but there are also many rules surrounding it in the Florida Keys. While lobster diving Key West waters, finding a technique that works for you is important. You’ll want to practice your skills and act quickly because lobster can be surprisingly fast, and you only have so much air in your lungs!
The key to catching lobster is to understand what they will do when they realize that you’ve invited them to dinner.
Lobsters are curious and will carefully walk forward to feel things with their antennae. But when they want to move, they swim quickly backward using flicks of their tail. That tasty muscle is their most powerful resource, after all.
With this in mind, you want to get the lobster’s attention and get it as close as possible to you. Then, when it tries to swim away, you’re ready. It will usually swim right into a net placed behind it, or you can just grab it if you have quick reflexes and are ready.
Recreational Key West lobster fishing usually uses a tickle stick and net, a noose, or catch them by hand. At Your Island Charter, we only freedive for lobsters using snorkel gear. It does require being a decent swimmer since you’ll have to dive down to grab them.
Tickle Stick
The tickle stick is a long fiberglass stick that sort of mimics the lobster’s antenna. When you see their antenna sticking out from under a rock or ledge, a little tickle with the stick is usually enough to get them out to check what’s going on.
Lobster Noose
A lobster noose works on the same principle. The small noose is on the end of a long pole. You can entice them to come out of their hole, and when they back into the noose, you spring it and grab them.
Diving Gloves
These fancy toys aren’t totally necessary, but they make the job a lot easier. A good pair of gloves is important no matter how you catch them. They are spiny lobsters, after all, and some of those spines are awfully sharp.
Check That It’s Legal Right Away!
Once you’ve got your critter, you have to check for two things.
The first is easy—is it an egg-bearing female? Females carry their eggs under their tails, so turn the bug over and look. If you see eggs, let her go. It means there will be plenty more lobster to catch next year!
Secondly, the lobster must be of legal size to keep it, which is a carapace length of 3 inches or more. You must have a lobster gauge (sometimes called a caliper) with you to be legal. The gauge hooks between their eyeballs and extends back along their carapace. You’re good to go if the gauge can’t reach from their eyeballs to the end of their carapace at the tail.
Lobster must be kept whole until you get to shore, so stuff the whole critter in your bag and head back to the boat. The bag limits are six per person per day.
What Do I Need to Catch Lobster?
All the gear is provided when you come out with Your Island Charter. Plus, since you’re headed out with Captain Nate on a charter, you don’t need to worry about getting a Florida saltwater fishing license with a lobster stamp. If you’re on your own, you’ll need to get those before you go lobster diving.
Supplied on our Key West lobster charters:
- Snorkel gear
- Tickle sticks
- Lobster gauges
- Nets and bags
Where Do You Catch Lobster in the Florida Keys?
Lobsters are everywhere in the Florida Keys, but that doesn’t mean you can go anywhere to catch them. At Your Island Charter, Captain Nate knows the best spots and will take you right to them.
Generally speaking, lobsters like to hang out underneath some sort of bottom structure. They like feeling cozy, with a little roof over their heads and their antenna sticking out and feeling the world. Their favorite spots are under ledges or rocks on a reef, inside wrecks, or around piers. You’ll rarely see one walking around on the seagrass or reef, especially during the day.
Inside the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary are a few no-take zones you must abide by. Plus, you cannot lobster in Everglades National Park or Dry Tortugas National Parks. There are even more rules during Mini Season.
During spiny lobster season, Key West, Monroe Country, and Florida rules are strictly enforced. It’s always best to head out with a local like Captain Nate who can keep you out of trouble and help you find the best lobster dens!
Lobster Charter Key West — Book Now
Ready to fill your net with the best ocean lobster Key West offers? Nothing beats finding your own bugs and grilling them that night. Call Captain Nate and let’s hit the water and go bug hunting!
Key West Lobster Trips
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Florida Spiny Lobsters are crawling all over the patch reefs and wrecks of the Keys. The tasty crustaceans are fun to catch and delicious to eat, so let’s go lobstering and get a taste of the real Key West lifestyle.
Tell Me About Your Key West Lobster Excursion
Florida lobster season runs from August 6 to March 31 each year. Lobster Mini Season, also called Sport Season, occurs on the last consecutive Wednesday-Thursday in July. Mini Season is very popular in the Florida Keys, so book your charter early for those days! Mini Season will be on July 24–25, 2024.
Thanks to a little local knowledge, thanks to Captain Nate, we’ll zip you out to some of the best lobster honey holes. We’ll get away from the crowds and find some big ones.
Our Key West lobstering charters take you to small patch reefs and wrecks that are easy to snorkel and loaded with bugs. If you’ve never lobstered before, Captain Nate will show you the basics before you set out.
You can find information about the Florida regulations for lobster on the FWC website. https://myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/recreational/lobster/
A few notes about Your Island Charter’s Key West lobster trip packages:
We usually try more than one spot during a trip
We can combine your lobster charter with other activities (i.e., snorkeling, sandbars, fishing, eco-tours, or sunset charters)
Where we go will depend on that day’s weather and conditions on the water
All ages are welcome
Pets are welcome
Lobster Charter Itinerary
When you book your custom charter, you can pick to head out in the morning or afternoon. Half-day charters can be customized to fit your group’s needs.
Lobster charters leave the Hurricane Hole Marina on Stock Island at either 9:00 am, 12:00 pm, or 2:00 pm. Getting to the reef takes about 45 minutes, and we’ll go bug hunting for at least 2.5 hours. The total trip lasts about four hours, and we usually hit a few different spots in search of our dinner.
The precise locations we visit will depend on the weather that day—we always aim to find the calmest, clearest water where the freediving for lobster is easy.
What Will I See During a Lobster Trip in Key West?
Lobster charters are basically snorkeling charters, so even if you’re not after tasty crustaceans, you’re in for a treat. Snorkeling in the Keys is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
We typically visit small patch reefs and isolated coral heads—quieter, less visited areas outside the FKNMS no-take sanctuary zones. Since the goal is freediving for lobster, we aim for shallow water about 8 to 15 feet deep where the visibility is good and the conditions are calm.
Besides lobster, you’ll likely see all sorts of critters on the reefs. Here are just a few:
Gin-clear tropical water
Wildlife like dolphins, birds, and turtles
Underwater critters like sea turtles, stingrays, sharks, and hundreds of types of tropical fish
Hard and soft corals on the only living coral reefs in the continental US
What Should I Bring on a Key West Private Lobstering Charter?
Feel free to bring your own lobstering and snorkel gear if you have it. The boat has basic supplies to get you going, so you don’t need to rush out and buy anything. Here’s a list of things that you should consider bringing:
Good pair of lobstering gloves that fit well
Kid’s snorkel masks (we can’t assure that our masks will fit kids)
Wet suits during winter months (if you want one, not needed)
Towels
Dry clothes
Hats, sunglasses, sunscreen (try to find reef-safe versions)
Sweater or jacket during the cooler months
Cameras (waterproof is best!)
Alcoholic beverages (BYOB)
Any food or snacks you want to bring
What Should I Not Bring With Me?
No more than six passengers
Glass bottles
What’s Included When I Book a Lobster Trip in Key West?
We keep quite a few supplies on the boat for a good time. Here’s what I keep on hand:
Snorkel gear available on request
Basic lobstering gear: tickle sticks, gauges, net sacks
Beach umbrella
Pool noodles
Cooler with ice and bottled water
Bluetooth stereo
Lifejackets, safety equipment, and first aid kit
Note: When you book a lobster charter with My Island Charter, you do not need your own Florida fishing license.
