State biologists have been pulling stone crab traps off Homosassa for weeks, and the season doesn't open until Thursday. Every two weeks a team from the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute services 20 standard commercial traps off this stretch of coast. They count each crab, record its sex, measure its claws, and log the water temperature. Homosassa is one of ten such study sites in Florida, along with Steinhatchee, Cedar Key, Johns Pass, Sanibel Island, Marco Island, Pavilion Key, Marathon, Harbor Key and Key West.
So people in Homosassa get something most stone crab towns don't. Before the October 15 opener, the state publishes a preseason snapshot of what's in the traps right offshore. The September 2026 sheet is out. It shows a little less legal claw per trap than last September, and it came from noticeably warmer water.
What the September Traps Pulled Up
In the September 2026 preseason sample, FWC's four Homosassa sites produced 207 crabs, 395 claws and 189 claws of legal size. The sheet converts that to 1.10 pounds of legal claw per trap. FWC doesn't weigh each claw. It estimates weight from claw length, using more than 60,000 claws sampled at fish houses.
The baseline is last year's preseason sheet. In September 2025, Homosassa came in at 1.27 pounds of legal claw per trap. That's a drop of about 13 percent in yield per trap from one preseason sample to the next.
The temperature column moved too. The average temperature logged at Homosassa was 32.7 degrees in September 2026, compared with 28.5 in September 2025. FWC's sheet labels the column "Average Temp" and doesn't give a unit. The 32.7 reading was also the highest of any site on the September 2026 sheet. The sheet doesn't explain why yield and temperature moved together, and two Septembers can't show that one caused the other.
The Homosassa traps were also heavily male: 167 males to 32 females, plus 11 dead crabs.
FWC labels all of these numbers preliminary and subject to change. The program is fishery-independent, which means the state runs its own traps. The data isn't commercial landings, and it isn't a forecast of what local boats will bring to the dock.
Homosassa Against the Rest of the Coast
Even after the drop, Homosassa ranks near the top of the September 2026 sheet. Here is legal-claw yield per trap at eight of the study sites in that preseason sample:
| Site | Crabs counted | Legal claws | Legal claw lbs per trap | Average temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cedar Key | 352 | 234 | 1.47 | 29.4 |
| Steinhatchee | 126 | 145 | 1.39 | 28.7 |
| Homosassa | 207 | 189 | 1.10 | 32.7 |
| Sanibel Island | 152 | 112 | 0.66 | 30.1 |
| Key West | 56 | 49 | 0.62 | 31.9 |
| Marco Island | 150 | 89 | 0.50 | 30.8 |
| Johns Pass | 102 | 46 | 0.29 | 30.5 |
| Pavilion Key | 136 | 55 | 0.27 | 29.3 |
Among these eight, the three Nature Coast and Big Bend sites, Cedar Key, Steinhatchee and Homosassa, are the only ones above one pound per trap. Every site from Johns Pass south comes in below 0.7. FWC marks Key West as having only one sampling event that month.
Homosassa's dip shows up within that northern group. Steinhatchee had fewer crabs in its traps than Homosassa but a higher yield per trap. Cedar Key had the most crabs on the sheet and the highest yield. Homosassa has the warmest water of the three and the lowest yield of the three. It also still outproduced every southern site by a wide margin.
The Rules That Decide What Counts as Legal
The "legal claw" column follows the same rules a recreational crabber does. The recreational season in state waters runs October 15 through May 1 and closes May 2. FWC gives those as recurring annual dates. On this year's calendar they fall on Thursday, October 15, 2026, through May 1, 2027. FWC's October 2025 season announcement set the minimum claw size at 2 7/8 inches.
For anyone thinking about setting traps off a Homosassa dock or skiff:
- Recreational harvesters 16 and older need an annual trap registration. It's free.
- The limit is five traps per person.
- Since the 2024-25 season, plastic and wood traps need an escape ring 2 3/16 inches across, set in a vertical outside wall. Wire traps have their own three-ring requirement.
FWC's commercial stone crab page still lists the escape-ring rule as the most recent trap change. It shows no newer change to season length or claw size for 2026-27. The full recreational rules are on FWC's recreational stone crab page.
Buying Claws by the Grade
Most people in Homosassa buy their claws, and the grade on the sign is what sets the price. Shelly's Seafood Market at 5380 S. Boulevard Drive lists its stone crab grades by claws per pound:
- Floater: a mixed, seasonal grade
- Medium: 6 to 8 claws per pound
- Large: 4 to 5 claws per pound
- Jumbo: 2 to 3 claws per pound
Those grades appear on Shelly's wholesale page, and the market asks buyers to call during business hours about purchases. The site doesn't confirm walk-in stone crab sales or list current prices. Its posted hours are Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. It notes that selection, quantity and prices change. Opening day falls on a Thursday, so the counter is open that day. Whether claws are in the case yet is a phone call.
The preseason sheet ties into the grades. Pounds per trap reflects both how many legal claws are in a trap and how big they are. A lower number can mean fewer keepers, smaller keepers or both. The September data can't say which grades will be plentiful once boats start landing claws.
A short drive north, The Crab Plant at 201 NW 5th St. in Crystal River says its family runs its own boats and sells stone crab at its market. Market hours are Tuesday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. The adjoining restaurant is open Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. It's cash only and has an ATM. The market takes cards.
Thirty Days From Opener to Old Homosassa's Festival
One month after opening day, the season gets its local celebration. The 51st Homosassa Arts, Crafts & Seafood Festival takes over Old Homosassa on Saturday, November 14, and Sunday, November 15, 2026. The lineup includes local seafood, arts and crafts, beer, live music, a Kids Zone and the Homosassa History & Heritage Center. Discover Crystal River puts it on the Homosassa Civic Club grounds and lists a requested $5 donation for guests 12 and older.
The hours differ by source. The festival's own page lists Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Homosassa Civic Club calendar shows 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The organizer's 9 a.m. start matches the tourism listing. For anyone planning a Saturday morning around it, the festival page is the one to check closer to the date.
The festival started in 1975, when Homosassa Civic Club president and artist Eppie Boatwright suggested the club host an art show as a yearly fundraiser. Artists, crafters, food vendors and sponsors have until October 30 to apply for this year's event.
FWC's preseason link sits alongside its in-season monthly sheets on the stone crab catch data page. Last season, monthly tables were posted for October, November and December 2025. If that pattern holds, an October 2026 sheet for Homosassa will show whether the traps offshore recovered before the festival weekend.
Tyler Ross lives and works on the Nature Coast, and he follows Homosassa's waterfront as closely as he follows its home sales. If you're curious what your Homosassa home would bring this season, start with an instant valuation, then call Tyler for a local read on the numbers behind it.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
