Stone Crab Season in Florida: What to Know & Where to Get It
Beloved for its delicate and sweet meat, these crustaceans dominate menus – and the local fishing industry – during stone crab season in Florida every October through May. Here’s why they are so sought after – plus, the best destinations to get your claws on, well, these delicious claws.
Known for their Popeye-sized, super-strong black-tipped claws, stone crabs sure have a tight grip on Florida. Not only are these pinchers particularly abundant throughout the state’s waters (especially southern Florida), but – come their harvest season – the communities go a little crazy for the crustacean, carving out headlining spots on restaurant menus, debating over the best way to serve the meat (hot versus cold, plain versus dipping sauce), and even shaping annual festivals around the beloved seafood delicacy.
So why all the scuttle over these sea-floor scuttlers? Consider this your ultimate guide to all things Florida stone crab, including why it’s so special, where to eat it, and the seafood festivals that celebrate it.
WHEN IS STONE CRAB SEASON IN FLORIDA?
Caught using baited traps, stone crabs are legal to harvest in Florida from October 15 through May 1, which is why you’ll only see the sweet meat starring local seafood menus during this specific window of the year. Outside of these months, the fishery closes to protect the species during their breeding season. This ensures a stable population for future stone crab harvest seasons.
Can You Only Find Stone Crabs in Florida?
Stone crabs can certainly be found outside of Florida, in offshore waters all the way from North Carolina down to the Yucatan. However, almost 99% of the US’s stone crab claws are harvested in Florida with the crustacean serving as the second most valuable fishery in Florida (it generates somewhere around $30 million annually). Some of their favorite habitats cluster around the areas of Tampa Bay, the Everglades (considered “The Stone Crab Capital of the World”), and the Keys. Which is why if you’re looking to score super fresh stone crab, the cities of Clearwater, Naples, and Key West are sure to deliver.
WHAT IS SO SPECIAL ABOUT STONE CRABS?
What exactly is a stone crab? How does it differ from other crustaceans? It turns out, not all crabs are created equal.
1. Stone Crabs Are a Sustainable Seafood Source
Unlike Dungeness or blue crabs, where fisherman harvest the whole crab, only the claws are legally permitted to be harvested on stone crabs (once they reach a certain size). When harvested properly, once being returned to the ocean, stone crabs will regenerate their claws, which means they can be harvested yet again in a future season.
While other crab species also have the ability to regrow claws, stone crabs are unique because their claws regenerate faster: adult crabs will be sporting a shiny new limb in about a year, while juvenile crabs only take a few months (as they molt more frequently than their elders).
That makes stone crab a true sustainable seafood source – able to live to scuttle another day.
2. Stone Crabs Have Sweet, Decadent Meat
With meat that is rich in natural sugars, stone crabs are perhaps best known for having a unique, sweet flavor unlike other varieties of crabs. As for texture, stone crab meat is firm and dense – similar to that of lobster or shrimp – but it’s not overly rubbery (enthusiasts describe it as the “perfect chewy consistency”). And there’s also a mild brininess to the meat that adds depth to the overall flavor profile.
The Best Way to Serve Stone Crab?
Purists say the best way to eat stone crab is cold. While the meat needs to first be cooked – either boiled or steamed – a popular approach is to immediately blanch the claws after cooking (this will stop the cooking process), then serve them over a bed of ice. When chilled, the meat firms up and the sweet-and-subtle-brininess flavor is more apparent. And while you can certainly serve the claws plain or with a cup of melted butter for dipping, the traditional accompaniment is a creamy mustard sauce – the sauce’s tang and brightness complement the crab’s natural sweetness well.
3. Stone Crabs Are Incredibly Strong
A stone crab may be small, but its crusher claw – the one they use to break open the shells of mollusks, oysters, clams, and other prey for eating – can exert up to 19,000 pounds of pressure per square inch. To put that in perspective: That’s nearly four times the crushing force of a crocodile’s jaws. This impressive strength is part of what makes stone crab claws so meaty and delicious.
WHERE TO GET FLORIDA STONE CRAB?
You can find the coveted claws on restaurant menus, in local seafood markets, and can even order them online. But one of the most fun ways to enjoy stone crab is at one of Florida’s popular October stone crab festivals located near Opal Collection properties – one held in Clearwater Beach (near Opal Sands Resort and Sandpearl Resort) and another in Naples (near Edgewater Beach Hotel and The Capri Inn).
Popular Florida Stone Crab Festivals
Stone Crab Festival in Naples, FL
10/25–27, 2024
Celebrating its fourteenth season in 2024, this community-wide fest takes over the historic waterfront of Naples, including the locations of Tin City, Bayfront, Crayton Cove, and the Naples City Dock. The three-day event always commences on the Friday evening with the mayor cracking the inaugural stone crab at Tin City, followed by live entertainment from the Soapy Tuna Band. The rest of the weekend is filled with vendors, music, special activities for the kids, discounted festival pricing for boat cruises, and, of course, all the locally harvested claws you can eat.
- Where to Stay for Naples Stone Crab Festival:
- Edgewater Beach Hotel: This Naples vacation resort boasts a coveted beachfront setting overlooking the Gulf of Mexico and over 100 modern suites.
- The Capri Inn: This 59-room Naples, FL boutique hotel offers newly renovated accommodations, a private two-bedroom cottage perfect for longer stays, and a tranquil, secluded pool.
Frenchy’s Stone Crab Weekend in Clearwater Beach, FL
10/25–26, 2024
What better way to usher in the Florida stone crab season than with a block party offering discounted prices for the coveted claws? This is what makes this annual, Friday-through-Saturday block party – now celebrating its 40th year – so sought after: All the fresh-off-the-boat claws supplied by Frenchy’s Stone Crab Company are sold at cost as a way to thank all the loyal seafood customers over the years. Throw in live music, food and drink specials, raffles with proceeds benefiting charity, and you’ve got the makings of one worthy weekend spent in Clearwater.
- Where to Stay for Frenchy’s Stone Crab Weekend:
- Opal Sands Resort: This contemporary Clearwater Beach retreat boasts 230 gulf-front guest rooms and suites and a zero-entry pool just steps from the beach.
- Sandpearl Resort: This beloved Florida Gulf Coast hotel boasts a 700-foot stretch of pristine beach, delicious dining, and 253 recently renovated guest rooms and suites.
Florida’s Most Popular Stone Crab Restaurants
When stone crab is in season, you can expect to see the colossal claws in Latitudes, a signature Opal Collection restaurant with locations in Jupiter Beach Resort & Spa, Delray Sands, and Sunset Key Cottages. In fact, in Jupiter and Delray’s locations, they always are a popular pick – displayed within full view on a mound of ice in the chef seafood galley – and served with a smorgasbord of other seafood options in the restaurants’ popular shellfish towers. Other iconic stone crab restaurants in Florida include Joe’s Stone Crab in Miami Beach, Billy’s Stone Crab in Hollywood, City Seafood in Everglades City, and The Fish House in Key Largo.
Order Florida Stone Crabs Online
You can also order stone crab to be delivered straight to your door – wherever that might be. When ordering online, you’ll generally find stone craws categorized by size: medium (up to 3 ounces), large (3–5 ounces), jumbo (5–7 ounces), and colossal (7+ ounces). Packed with ice or insulated containers, they’re often shipped pre-cooked and frozen to preserve their freshness. For reputable seafood suppliers and fish markets in Florida that offer delivery, consider Key Largo Fisheries, Frenchy’s Stone Crab & Seafood Market, and Fresh Stone Crabs.
