It’s no secret that New England is a seafood destination: Each year, thousands of people flock to the New England coast — and to Weathervane Seafood Restaurants — get their seafood fix.
By far, the most popular of our delicious and healthy meals featured on our extensive menus has to be the lobster — and luckily, it’s always lobster season in our restaurants!
Guests love satisfying their taste buds with the succulent and delectable lobster meat hidden inside the bright red shell of a freshly steamed Maine lobster. We get it. We love lobster, too.
So, because we’re essentially lobster experts, we decided to share some of our knowledge about our favorite seafood dish with our loyal guests. We’ve previously covered the anatomy of the curious crustacean, but here we’ll explain how the lobster season works, when lobster season takes place and what our guests can expect on their plates throughout the year.
Lobster is one of the most iconic and luxurious seafood delicacies there is. With its succulent meat and signature bright red shell, this crustacean is cherished by diners across the world. However, when it comes to availability, many seafood lovers wonder – is there a particular season or time of year when lobster is at its peak?
In this complete guide we’ll cover everything you need to know about lobster seasons and the best times to catch buy, and eat this delicious shellfish.
An Overview of Lobster Seasons
While lobster can be caught year-round in most lobster fishing regions, there are definitely peak seasons when lobsters are more active, plentiful, and populate coastal waters in greater numbers. This is when the majority of lobsters are caught and brought to market.
The exact fishing seasons vary slightly by location, but generally follow this timeline
- Early Spring (March-May): Moderate activity as waters warm
- Summer (June-August): Peak abundance during warmer months
- Fall (September-November): Remains active even as temperatures cool
- Winter (December-February): Lowest catches during the coldest months
So while fresh lobster can be enjoyed 12 months of the year, the prime seasons to find the largest harvests are in the summer and early fall. Now let’s look at the peak catching times across some major lobster fishing regions.
Lobster Seasons by Location
The peak lobster fishing and harvesting seasons across the top regions include:
- North American Atlantic Coast
- Maine: Year-round, peak from April to November
- Massachusetts: Year-round, peak from March to December
- Atlantic Canada: Year-round, peak seasons May-July and October-January
- European Coast
- UK and France: October to May
- Norway and Sweden: Year-round
- Mediterranean (Spain and Italy): Peak seasons March to August
- Australia and New Zealand: Peak seasons November to May
- South Africa: Peak seasons November to April
As you can see, active lobster fishing takes place around the globe but intensifies during the warmer months when lobsters become more active and migrate closer to the shorelines. Next, let’s look at why summer produces the most bountiful lobster harvests.
Why Summer is the Prime Lobster Catching Season
There are a few key reasons why lobster populations and catches boom during the summer months:
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Warmer water temperatures – Lobsters become more active and migrate closer to shore in warmer waters, making them easier to catch in traps.
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Molting season – Warmer water triggers lobsters to shed their shells to grow larger. This molting process leaves them vulnerable until their new shell hardens.
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Mating and egg-laying – Late summer and early fall are prime times for mating and egg-laying. The increased activity makes lobsters more likely to enter traps.
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Longer daylight – The extra daylight hours of summer allow fishermen to haul more traps per day.
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Favorable fishing conditions – Summer weather patterns tend to create safer, more predictable conditions for small fishing vessels.
So the combination of lobster biology and seasonal factors creates that perfect storm of plentiful lobster supplies in the summer months.
Availability of Lobsters in the “Off-Season”
While summer and early fall are considered the peak seasons, lobster fishing still takes place year-round. However, supplies are lower in the off-season for a few reasons:
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Colder water temperatures make lobsters less active and cause them to retreat to deeper waters.
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Winter weather poses challenges for small fishing boats to safely haul traps offshore.
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Fewer daylight hours limit the number of traps that can be collected daily.
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Fishing regulations limit or close seasons to protect future populations.
Despite these challenges, advancements in lobster fishing allow for year-round availability. Hardy, experienced fishermen still drag traps offshore in the winter months. And stored reserves from the peak season help meet market demand when fresh catches decline.
How Regulations Impact Lobster Seasons
To prevent overfishing and ensure sustainable lobster supplies, seasonal regulations govern the harvesting across all the major lobster fishing regions. These include:
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Size limits – Prevent catching juveniles and egg-bearing females.
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Closed seasons – Match vulnerable molting and mating times when lobsters cannot be taken.
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Trap limits – Control the volume each vessel can catch per day or season.
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Quotas – Cap total allowable catches per season.
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Licensing – Maintains fishery participation at sustainable levels.
These regulations align peak fishing activity with natural lobster growth cycles while protecting future stocks. This ensures stable supplies of these prized crustaceans for generations to come.
Enjoy Sustainable Lobster Anytime of Year
While summer and fall offer prime lobster catching conditions, modern practices enable us to enjoy fresh lobster any month of the year. Regulations, storage techniques, and winter offshore fishing allow for year-round market availability to meet the strong global demand.
The key is choosing sustainably harvested lobsters during both peak and off-peak seasons. So go ahead and indulge in this cherished delicacy all year long, whether it’s a lobster roll on the beach in August or baked lobster tail in February. With mindful sourcing, we can sustainably savor seasonal lobster cuisine year-round.
Frequently Asked Questions About Lobster Seasons
Where can you get fresh lobster in the winter months?
While supplies are lower, you can still source fresh winter lobster through hardy offshore fishermen or purchase from stored reserves. Live and frozen lobsters are shipped year-round to meet demand.
How can you tell if a lobster is in peak season?
In peak season, lobsters have hard full shells and abundant meat. Off-season lobsters may have softer shells after molting. Choose lobsters with firm shells and claws for best quality.
Why is lobster more expensive in winter?
Due to fewer catches and challenging fishing conditions, labor costs rise and supply drops in winter, driving up prices. Summer gluts bring down prices.
What regulations help align lobster seasons with sustainability?
Regulations like size limits, fishing quotas, seasonal closures, and trap limits align harvests with lobster growth cycles to ensure healthy future populations.
How do you properly store live lobster in the off-season?
Keep stored lobsters cool at 35-40°F. Store in damp newspaper or seaweed, and keep them in well-ventilated areas. Avoid freezing live lobsters. Cook within 2 days of storing for best quality.
What is Surf and Turf?
Surf and turf is a style of menu that offers the best of both the land and the sea. This means customers don’t have to choose between the steak and the lobster and just get them both. This is a classic offering at steakhouses and seafood restaurants.
Surf and turf plates are often show-stopping displays of vibrant, fresh seafood and juicy seared steak. Alongside the main course, you’ll often find vegetable side dishes like crisp green asparagus, creamed spinach, whipped potatoes, or other sides to balance out all the protein.
Ultimately, surf and turf is a delightful culinary experience of texture, flavor, and aroma in one unique meal.
When Is Lobster Season?
Lobsters are harvested year-round in Maine and New Hampshire; however, the majority are caught between late June and late December, when the lobsters are the most active. Lobsters are also harvested during the winter and early spring months but in smaller quantities.
Regardless of the season, lobster fishing is the most active in the Gulf of Maine, which includes the Bay of Fundy and has the highest tidal variations on the planet, as well as cold, nutrient-rich water — perfect conditions, since lobsters like cold and salty water. In fact, the Maine Stewardship Council estimates that the Gulf of Maine accounts for more than two-thirds of the U.S.’s lobster catches.