Stone crab claws
Stone crab claws, graded and priced.
Florida stone crab season runs October 15 through May 1. We sell our own claws by the pound in four grades, cooked right off the boat and on ice at our market in Aripeka. Last season opened at $20 a pound for mediums and $40 for colossals.
Mon to Sat 10 AM to 5 PM, Sun 11 AM to 3 PM
The season
Stone crab season runs October 15 to May 1.
Claw guide
Four grades, same pound.
Claws are sold by the pound and graded by size. Bigger claws mean fewer to the pound and more meat for every crack.
5claws
to a pound
$25a pound, last season’s opening price
About 3.2 oz a claw. Florida grades large at 3 to 5 oz. Each shape is one claw, drawn to its weight.
How much for your table?
4 lb of large claws
About 20 claws, about $100 at last season’s opening price.
A pound a person is the Florida Department of Agriculture’s guide for a main course. Prices are from our October 16, 2025 opening post; this season’s go up on opening day.
Floaters Claws from a crab that just molted, so the meat hasn’t filled the new shell yet. Less meat, lower price, and we sell them when we have them.
How Karri cracks them
From her own how-to video. Watch the whole thing on Facebook
A hammer and a board. “The only thing I use is just a little household hammer,” and a cutting board.
Tap, then peel. Tap the shell until it cracks and lift the pieces away from the meat.
Twist the knuckle. “You want to just keep on twisting until you find a little spot.”
Grades and prices
Every grade, side by side.
Claws to the pound come from our own opening post. The weight ranges are Florida’s official grades. Prices are last season’s opening prices; this season’s go up on opening day.
| Grade | Claws to a pound | Weight per claw | 2025-26 opening price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medium | 7 | Up to 3 oz | $20 |
| Large | 5 | 3 to 5 oz | $25 |
| Jumbo | 3 | 5 oz and up | $35 |
| Colossal | 2 | Above jumbo; not a Florida grade | $40 |
| Floaters | Varies | Just-molted claws, less meat | Ask us |
Sources: our October 16, 2025 post; the Florida Department of Agriculture’s grades.
Florida’s rules
How the fishery takes care of itself.
- Oct 15 to May 1 The season. Florida closes it on May 2.
- 2 7/8 in The smallest claw anyone may keep.
- Claws only The crab goes back in the water alive.
- 95 percent How much of a claw can grow back, over three molts.
- 10 days early How soon before opening day traps may go in. Nobody pulls one until the 15th.
From the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s stone crab rules and FAQ.
At your table
Cracked, cold, with the sauce.
Our claws come off the boat cooked, so there’s nothing left to do but crack them. Karri uses “just a little household hammer” and a cutting board. We keep Seminole Florida stone crab sauce and Seminole cocktail sauce at the counter.
FAQ
Claw questions.
Something else? Text us or call 352-232-5777.
When is stone crab season in Florida?
October 15 through May 1; Florida closes it on May 2. Our traps go in about ten days early, and this year Karri expects claws in house on October 16.
How many stone crab claws per person?
About a pound a person for a main course, which is the Florida Department of Agriculture’s guide. That’s roughly five large claws or three jumbos.
Are stone crab claws sold cooked?
Yes. We cook ours right off the boat and put them on ice, so they’re ready to crack and eat cold.
What’s a floater?
A claw from a crab that just molted. The meat hasn’t grown into the new shell yet, so there’s less of it, and it’s priced lower.
How big does a claw have to be?
Florida’s minimum is 2 7/8 inches, measured from the tip of the claw’s fixed finger to the first joint. Only claws come aboard; the crab goes back in the water.
Do the claws grow back?
They can. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says a claw can regain about 95 percent of its size after three molts, which takes about three years in an adult crab.
Reserve
Reserve by text.
Your name, your order and the day you’ll pick up. We text back to confirm.