LEE COUNTY, Fla. — Seafood lovers...that special time of year is back! Stone crab season officially kicked off.
Stone crab season runs through May 2nd, with new regulations:
- The minimum claw size limit will be 2 7/8 inches (a 1/8 inch increase).
- Possession of whole stone crabs on the water will be limited to two checker boxes, each up to 3 feet by 2 feet by 2 feet OR a total volume of 24 cubic feet. Checker boxes are used to hold crabs on board a vessel before they are measured and legal-sized claws are removed.
- All plastic and wood stone crab traps will need to be outfitted with a 2 3/16-inch escape ring before the 2023/2024 season.
Recreational harvesters who are age 16 and older and fish with traps are required to complete an online, no-cost recreational stone crab trap registration and place their registration number on their traps before using them
For more information on harvesting stone crabs for recreation click here.
