Lobster Season: What is the Best Time of Year To Buy Lobster

Lobstering is done year-round off the coast of Maine by the 6000-plus lobstermen, primarily working out of small coastal communities. But is there a lobster season? Is there a best time of year to buy Maine lobster? 

Generally, the best lobsters can be caught before Memorial Day or after Labor Day than at any time in between. But this does not always hold true. Mother Nature does not always cooperate. As any New Englander knows, the weather is highly unpredictable. Live lobsters are subject to seasonal changes and government regulations affecting supply and demand.

What is the Best Time of Year To Buy Lobster?

Lobster fishing is most active in the Gulf of Maine, Bay of Fundy, Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence, and coastal Nova Scotia. Maritime Canada has its own lobster season, which is designed to manage and conserve the lobster catch for future generations.

Learn More About Lobster Conservation Practices and Laws

Canada accounts for more than 60% of lobster landings in North America and provides more than half of the world’s lobster supply. The lobster season typically peaks twice yearly, once in the spring (April-June) and another in December.

Canadian provinces have been split into 41 individual Lobster Fishing Areas (LFAs). Each area is subject to its own season, ranging from eight weeks to eight months in length. The breaks in fishing times are timed with the molting period of the lobsters.

The largest Canadian lobster catches are in areas 33 and 34, with the biggest haul generally coming in November.

January, February, and March

Lobsters are scarce, and the prices are at their highest. During the winter months, lobsters move further offshore, requiring lobster boats to travel greater distances, and the harsh weather makes it more difficult for fishermen to work.

April, May, and June

Prices will peak in early spring, but as the weather warms, lobster fishing picks up, and prices drop in May and June. May is typically one of the best months of the year to buy live lobsters. The supplies are very good as the demand from summer resorts has yet to kick in. The lobsters are generally at their firmest and meatiest after the cold weather months.

July-August-September

Is summertime lobster the best? Summer is synonymous with lobster. Some of the highest lobster landings are in the summer months. Lobsterman works around the clock to meet the demand of the tourists on the coast.

You’ll find more lobsters in the summer since they migrate inshore to warmer waters, many shedding their shells. After lobsters molt, they need to feed. Hungry, active lobsters are easier to trap! A soft shell characterizes much of the product between July and late September.

These soft-shell lobsters are not as strong and are more difficult to transport live. What’s more, soft-shell lobsters have less meat per pound than hard-shell lobsters. In the summer, you’ll see a couple of price levels: with a low price for soft-shell lobsters and higher prices for the limited number of hard-shell lobsters. In the New England summer months, you should pick up extra soft-shell lobsters since they will have less meat than firm-shell lobsters.

Live lobster has historically been a summer food in New England, but the increased world demand, especially from Asia, is starting to change that. That means demand can be higher in the colder months, once considered the lobster “off-season.”

October, November, and December

Next to late spring, fall is one of the best times of year to buy good, hard-shell lobsters. After Labor Day, all the tourists have gone home, and the lobster landings are at their highest. Lobster prices stay reasonable, rising a bit at Christmas time. The price heads up again sharply as winter weather sets in. When water temperatures are very cold (January through March), the harvest of new caught lobsters is down, and pounded lobster may be the only product available.

Can We Eat Lobster in the Winter?

From mid-September to late November, lobster fishing is in full swing. The haul is great, especially for hard-shell, live lobsters. Much of the lobster inventory will be used to meet the demand for Christmas dinners and New Year’s celebrations.

A bulk of the hard-shell lobsters are shipped overseas to Europe and Asia, where they fetch top dollar. In anticipation of seasonal changes and when harvest exceeds demand, the excess is stored or pounded to be made available when the catch is slower.

Lobsters are less active as water temperature drops. When water temperatures are very cold (January through March), there is not much lobster fishing. Cold weather, wind, and rough seas make lobstering difficult. There are a few brave souls braving the elements.

The quality of lobsters picks up again in May and June, just before molting when they have more meat.

Is It Better to Buy Fresh or Frozen Lobster?

Fresh lobster is at its best in the peak months, firm, sweet, and meaty. But it costs more and gets harder to find at quality when the season is off. That is where frozen earns its keep. When live lobster is scarce in the dead of winter or picked over in soft-shell summer, frozen lobster tails give you good eating year-round, with no guesswork about shell condition.

Frozen is not a lesser choice, it is a different one. Flash-frozen tails hold their texture well and ship without the risk that comes with moving live lobster in extreme heat or cold. Fresh or frozen, buy from a source that handles it right and you will eat well any month of the year.

What Does Lobster Cost by Season?

Lobster cost follows the seasons. Prices run highest in winter and early spring, from about January through April, when the catch is down and boats travel farther offshore. The best value comes in late summer, when soft-shell lobsters are plentiful and cheapest, with strong hard-shell value in May, June, October, and November. For current per-pound costs on live lobster, tails, and meat, see our guide to lobster prices.

Catching Maine Lobster Online

Good quality lobsters are available year-round, and LobsterAnywhere.com is in the best position to ship them to your home. Our live lobsters come from the cold North Atlantic waters of Maine and Canada and are packed with sweet, white meat from claw to tail. And it’s the very best of these live lobsters we ship to you.

So, When Should You Buy Lobster?

Good lobster is available year-round, but the best value and quality land in late spring and fall. Water temperature drives the cycle: warm summer water pushes many lobsters to shed their shells, so much of the catch between July and September is soft-shell, with less meat per pound.

You can always buy hard-shell lobsters from offshore and deepwater boats, but they cost more through the summer and early fall. For the firmest, meatiest lobsters at a fair price, buy in May and June or October and November.

Whatever the season, cold-water lobsters caught at their peak are worth seeking out. Buy from a responsible source, and you’ll eat well whether it’s a summer cookout or a bowl of lobster bisque in the dead of winter.

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