The eight-month Florida spiny lobster regular season opens Thursday, August 6, giving Biscayne Bay divers and boaters a much longer window to hunt local waters after the two-day miniseason wrapped Thursday, July 30.

The regular season runs through Wednesday, March 31, 2027, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

One key rule change for the regular season: the daily bag limit drops to six lobsters per person in all Florida waters, per the FWC's 2026 saltwater regulations. During the miniseason, divers outside Monroe County and Biscayne National Park could take 12 per day.

Night diving, banned in the Keys during the miniseason, is permitted statewide once the regular season begins.

What local divers saw during miniseason

Key Biscayne boater Christian Gonzalez told Local 10 News on July 29 that conditions were solid. "We were able to limit it out in less than an hour," Gonzalez said. Some divers reported fewer lobsters than in prior years, but most pulled decent hauls from the flats.

At Black Point Marina, seven-year-old Hailey Karch of Cutler Bay caught her first lobster freediving in Biscayne Bay on the miniseason's opening morning, according to the Miami Herald.

Rules that carry into the regular season

Harvesters still need a valid Florida recreational saltwater fishing license and a $5 annual spiny lobster permit, available at GoOutdoorsFlorida.com or through the Fish|Hunt Florida app. Florida residents can buy a five-year permit for $25.

FWC spokesperson George Reynaud reminded divers ahead of the miniseason on July 27 that lobsters must have a carapace measuring more than three inches, measured in the water, and that egg-bearing females are off-limits. Spears remain prohibited. Recreational anglers may not use traps.

Where you can't go

The Biscayne Bay/Card Sound Lobster Sanctuary and five Coral Reef Protection Areas within Biscayne National Park are closed to harvesting year-round. Divers should check GPS coordinates before entering the water near park boundaries.

Boaters must stay at idle speed within 300 feet of a divers-down flag in open water and within 100 feet near inlets or navigation channels.

Six days separate the miniseason close and the regular season opener, with Thursday, August 6 marking the start of hunting through March 2027.