Monroe County deputy cites man for illegal lobster harvest

A Monroe County deputy cited a man for illegally harvesting lobster, a violation that puts the Keys’ tight seasonal rules front and center as lobster season approaches. The sheriff’s office shared the case through its official account, underscoring how quickly a bad catch can turn into a citation when harvesters break the rules that protect Monroe County’s lobster stock.

In Monroe County, the recreational daily bag limit is six lobsters per person. The minimum size is a carapace longer than 3 inches, and a measuring device must be possessed and used at all times. Night diving is prohibited in Monroe County during sport season, and lobster harvest is also prohibited in John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park during that period.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says Monroe County’s 2026 recreational spiny lobster sport season runs July 29-30. The regular commercial and recreational season begins Aug. 6 and runs through March 31, 2026. That short mini-season is one of the most closely watched stretches of the year in the Keys, when officers from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office and state wildlife officials focus on boat ramps, bridges and popular launch points.

The closed areas are just as important as the dates. Year-round no-take waters include Everglades National Park, Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary no-take areas, the Biscayne Bay/Card Sound Lobster Sanctuary and the Coral Reef Protection Areas in Biscayne National Park. Taking lobster anywhere inside those zones is off-limits, even when the wider season is open.

Monroe County and state officials issue repeated lobster reminders because the season brings heavy traffic to the Keys. County notices have warned that boat ramps and parks become especially crowded, and Monroe County’s boat ramps have very limited parking. That congestion raises the stakes for every diver and boater trying to stay within the law.

The rules matter beyond one citation. Illegal harvest cuts into a resource that legal harvesters depend on and gives rule-breakers an edge over boaters who stay within the six-lobster limit, use a measuring device and avoid closed waters. In a fishery that draws residents, charter captains and visitors alike, the difference between a legal catch and a citation often comes down to a tape measure, a calendar and knowing exactly where the line is drawn.