Miami-area lobster divers get only two days for Florida's 2026 spiny lobster sport season: Wednesday, July 29, and Thursday, July 30. The useful first check is location, because Biscayne National Park and Monroe County carry a six-lobster daily bag limit, while much of the rest of Florida allows 12 per person.
The Coast Guard and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said they are increasing safety inspections and fishery boardings for the mini-season along Florida's coast. For Miami boaters, that means the usual rush to reefs and patchy bottom comes with a higher chance of being checked for safety gear, diver-down flags, licenses, permits, measuring devices and legal catch.
FWC lists the 2026 sport-season dates as July 29-30. It says the possession limit on the water equals the daily bag limit, and the off-water possession limit is the daily bag limit on July 29 and double the daily bag limit on July 30.
What changes around Biscayne
The Miami-specific trap is that Biscayne waters do not all work the same way. The National Park Service says taking lobster is prohibited at any time in the Biscayne Bay/Card Sound Lobster Sanctuary, including natural, artificial and tidal creeks between the islands and along the mainland. Lobsters may be taken east of the islands during legal season, except in closed areas such as Coral Reef Protection Areas and Legare Anchorage, where swimming, snorkeling and diving are prohibited year-round.
FWC also says harvest is prohibited at all times in the Biscayne Bay/Card Sound Lobster Sanctuary and in the five Coral Reef Protection Areas in Biscayne National Park. That is why a Miami launch plan should be checked against the exact map before anyone gets in the water.
What to check before launching
FWC requires a recreational saltwater fishing license and lobster permit unless an exemption applies. A kept lobster must have a carapace longer than 3 inches, measured in the water, and each harvester needs a measuring device. Egg-bearing lobster must be released, recreational trapping is prohibited, and lobster must remain whole in state waters.
For safety, the Coast Guard is telling boaters to keep engines off when swimmers or divers are in the water, check navigation lights, avoid overloading boats, attach the engine cutoff switch and boat sober. In Biscayne National Park, divers and snorkelers also need a visible diver-down flag and must stay within the required distance from it.
The bottom line for Miami: July 29 and 30 are not just a two-day opening. They are a two-day compliance test on crowded water, and the biggest mistake is assuming the statewide limit applies inside Biscayne.
