End Of Stone Crab Season: What To Know

As the Florida Stone Crab Season draws to a close, seafood lovers and food enthusiasts alike are eagerly looking forward to securing their last taste of these succulent delicacies before the season ends. Stone crabs are a beloved seafood delicacy known for their sweet, tender meat and distinctive claws. However, they are only allowed to be harvested for a limited time, making them a highly sought-after treat. To help you make the most of the remaining days of the Florida Stone Crab Season and secure your stone crabs soon, here's what you need to know.

When Does The Florida Stone Crab Season End?

First and foremost, it's important to understand the timing of the Florida Stone Crab Season. The season typically begins in October and runs through May, with May 1st being the official end date. At that point, it’s not illegal to eat them still, but it is illegal to continue to harvest them.

Why Is There A Stone Crab Season?

The main reason why Florida stone crabs cannot be harvested all year long is to allow for their reproductive cycle and population to sustain itself and grow. Stone crabs mate and lay eggs during the warmer months, typically from May to October. During this time, female stone crabs carry their eggs under their abdomen until they hatch, which can take several weeks. Harvesting female stone crabs during this period would result in a significant reduction in the number of eggs that can hatch, potentially threatening the overall population.

Additionally, to protect the breeding population, Florida regulations mandate that only the claws of the stone crabs can be harvested, and only if they meet certain size requirements. The regulations also require that one of the claws must be left intact when harvesting, allowing the crab to defend itself and continue to feed until the next molting season when it can regenerate its claw.

Additionally, environmental factors, such as water temperature and availability of food, can impact the growth and reproduction of stone crabs. Limiting the harvest season helps to account for these natural variations and ensures that the stone crab population has enough time to reproduce and replenish before the next harvest season.

Thus, the seasonal harvest restrictions for Florida stone crabs are in place to protect the reproductive cycle of the crabs, maintain the sustainability of the population, and ensure a viable and healthy population for future generations.

How To Get Stone Crab Claws Out of Season?

With the Florida Stone Crab season ending on May 1st and not starting back up again until mid-October, you may find yourself dreaming of delicious Florida stone crab claws. Thankfully, stone crab claws can be within your grasp with Captain Stone Crab. As the season wraps up, we begin the process of flash freezing our final batches. This allows us to offer you the same stone crabs and the same great taste once the harvesting season is over. Our flash frozen stone crab claws are on a first come first serve basis so when they’re out, they’re really out! We ensure that all of our postseason flash frozen claws are stored in a way that ensures their freshness all the way through delivery to your door. With Captain Stone Crab, you can enjoy stone crab claws all year long.

Enjoy Stone Crabs After Season With Captain Stone Crab

As the Florida Stone Crab Season comes to a close, it's important to act quickly if you want to secure your stone crabs before they become unavailable. Easily navigate our shop, purchase the stone crab claw size you want, and let our team handle the logistics! Before you know it, you’ll be enjoying delicious stone crabs delivered from our dock to your door. 

Take a look at our online shop and see the great options we offer. Remember that in addition to your fresh stone crab claws, at Captain Stone Crab you can enjoy our delicious caviar as well as our king crab legs in their colossal king crab legs presentation. Check it out and order your fresh stone crab claws today!