California Lobster Season 2026-27: Dates, Rules and Lobster Trips

The 2026-27 lobster season at a glance

Every rule below comes from CDFW's lobster page, its 2026-2027 lobster newsletter, its 2026 license fee schedule, or Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations, checked in September 2026.

Opening weekend: the Friday-night rules

The season opens at 6:00 p.m., not at midnight or dawn, and CDFW puts a quiet period in front of it. Hoop nets may not be placed in waters south of Point Arguello from 6:00 p.m. on the Thursday before the opener until 5:59 p.m. on opening day. For 2026, that means no nets in the water from Thursday evening, October 1, until the season opens Friday evening.

The boats schedule around it. Pescador's first 2026 hoop-net trip out of Redondo Sportfishing leaves at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, October 2, and returns at midnight. Dive trips start the next morning: Channel Islands Dive Adventures lists Anacapa Island lobster dives aboard the Triton on Saturday, October 3. Private boats book early, too. 22nd Street Landing's six-pack Ghost already shows its October lobster combo charters as chartered.

The report card: every person, every age

The Spiny Lobster Report Card is the rule most likely to catch a first-timer, because it does not follow the license rule. Under Title 14 section 29.91, every individual must have a card in their possession while fishing for or taking spiny lobster. CDFW spells out that this includes children under 16, anyone fishing from a pier, and anyone helping, whether that means setting or pulling a hoop net or handling lobster. The 2026 card costs $12.70.

It gets filled in as you go, not at the end of the night. Before you start fishing, which CDFW defines as putting a hoop net in the water or entering the ocean, you record the month, day, location and gear code on the next open line. When you move to a new location code or stop for the day, you record the number of lobster you kept, immediately. Entries must be in indelible ink, so bring a pen. CDFW's 2026-27 newsletter is explicit that its mobile app is not a substitute: all entries go on the physical card.

Then send it back. Cards are due by April 30, 2027, by mail or through online reporting, which opens March 18, 2027, the day after the season closes. Miss the deadline and CDFW charges a $21.60 non-return fee when you buy next season's card, or you sit out a season.

Size, limits and keeping lobster whole

The limit is seven per person, and it is a possession limit as well as a daily one. CDFW's lobster page says seven lobsters per person regardless of whether they are fresh, frozen or otherwise preserved, and gives the example plainly: if you already have seven at home, you cannot go get more until those are eaten or given away.

Every lobster gets measured right away. The minimum is 3¼ inches, measured in a straight line down the middle of the back from the rear edge of the eye socket to the rear edge of the body shell, and a short lobster goes back into the water immediately. Hoop netters measure as soon as the lobster comes out of the water; divers measure underwater and may not take a short lobster out of it. You must carry a device that can measure the minimum size, and CDFW recommends a lobster gauge with a fixed 3¼-inch gap.

Keep them whole. Lobster must stay "in a whole, measurable condition, until being prepared for immediate consumption," and when CDFW's FAQ asks whether you may tail your lobster at sea or at the launch ramp, the answer is one word: no.

Two more rules catch people on boats. A lobster that grabs a bait on hook and line while you are fishing for something else cannot be kept and goes straight back. And the penalties are real: CDFW's newsletter lists up to $1,000 per violation or up to a year in jail for taking over the limit, keeping short lobster, or taking lobster on hook and line.

Hoop nets: the gear rules

Recreational lobster may be taken only two ways: with a hoop net or by hand. CDFW's newsletter lists tickle sticks, snares, spears and wire traps as prohibited, and divers may use their hands only.

The net count is where boats differ from what people expect. South of Point Arguello you may use up to five hoop nets from a vessel, but CDFW is clear that the total on the vessel cannot exceed 10, "even if there are more than 2 people on the boat." From a public pier the limit is two nets. North of Point Arguello the vessel limit does not apply.

That 10-net ceiling shapes the trips. Pescador's open-party hoop-net nights are limited to 10 passengers. H&M Landing's Patriot lists a maximum of 10 hoops on its private lobster charter, and its Nautilus lists up to 10 hoop nets, no more than six passengers and a limit of five nets per person.

Nets must be pulled and checked at least every two hours; one left longer is considered abandoned and can be seized. Every net set from a boat needs a surface buoy. On a private boat the buoy carries the operator's GO ID number; on a party boat it carries the vessel's commercial boat registration number. New for 2026: it is now illegal to disturb, move or damage someone else's hoop net, although on a boat you may use another person's net as long as its owner or operator is present.

Only two net designs are legal, Type A and Type B, and neither may have a ring wider than 36 inches. If you are buying your own, check the full specifications in Title 14 section 29.80 first.

How lobster trips work on California charter boats

Lobster hooping happens at night. Trips leave in the late afternoon or evening and run four to six hours. Pescador leaves at 7:00 p.m. in October and returns at midnight, shifting to 6:00 to 11:00 p.m. in November and 5:00 to 10:00 p.m. in December. H&M Landing's Patriot departs between 5 and 6 p.m. for six hours, and Breakwall Fishing Charters in Long Beach recommends leaving the dock half an hour to an hour before sunset.

The method is simple enough that Breakwall describes it in one line: "We drop hoops, with bait, in the water then pull them up." They add that the nets have also come up with octopus, crabs, small sharks, rays and sculpin.

Most lobster trips are private charters. The open-party hoop-net boat, where you buy a single seat, is the exception, and Breakwall says outright that it does not currently offer open lobster charters. These are the trips we found published on operators' own sites:

Open party or private: doing the math

A single open-party seat is the cheapest way onto a lobster boat, and at Pescador it runs $103.50 to $134.55 depending on the night. A private boat looks expensive until you divide it. Coletta's $1,245 for four people is about $311 a head, and H&M Landing's Tradition at $1,100 for up to 10 comes to $110 each with a full boat. For a group of friends or a family, a private lobster charter can land close to the open-party price.

Read what is included before you compare. Hoop nets and bait are standard. Some private boats add dinner (Nautilus, Patriot) or snacks and water (Fernandez Charters), while others exclude food, drinks and your license and report card. Coletta Sportfishing lists the license and report card as required but not included.

• Buy your license and Spiny Lobster Report Card before the trip unless your boat says it sells them. Pescador sells both at check-in; Breakwall points customers to a sporting goods store for the card.
• Dress for a night on the water. Breakwall recommends layers and rain gear, and Captain Clowers in San Diego adds rubber boots and warm clothes to its list.
• Bring a cooler and leave it in the car. Captain Clowers asks for exactly that: an ice chest for your lobster, left in your vehicle.

Diving for lobster

Divers take lobster by hand only. Title 14 bars hooked devices, and while a diver may carry spearfishing gear, it cannot be used to take a lobster. The report card rule adjusts slightly underwater: diving from a boat, the card may stay on the boat, and diving from shore it may stay within 500 yards of your entry point. North of Yankee Point in Monterey County, scuba cannot be used to take lobster at all.

The lobster dive trips we found run out of Ventura, Channel Islands Harbor and San Diego. Spectre Dive Boat in Ventura says it offers lobster-specific dive trips each year, with the dates marked on its booking calendar, and cautions that some dives may be in protected areas and that hunting cannot be guaranteed. Guardian Charters runs night lobster dives off San Diego, a 10-minute ride out, with departures timed around the tide.

Where you can and cannot hoop

Marine protected areas are the big one. CDFW prohibits the take of all invertebrates in state marine reserves, and state marine parks and conservation areas may restrict it as well. CDFW's Ocean Sport Fishing Interactive Map shows the boundaries and the rules inside each area.

Every trip in this guide fishes south of Point Arguello, so an annual license also needs the $7.30 Ocean Enhancement Validation; one-day and two-day licenses are exempt.

Health closures are possible, too. As of mid-September 2026, CDFW's health advisories page lists no closures of the recreational spiny lobster fishery for naturally occurring marine toxins. Check it again the week of your trip.

Getting on a lobster boat for less

With 10 nets to a boat, lobster trips run small loads, so one unsold spot can be a tenth of the trip rather than one seat among dozens. When a captain has open spots on a trip that is going out anyway, those spots go out discounted. Mixed Bag Sportsman lists them as captains submit them, every deal is reviewed before it goes live, and you book directly with the boat. Get your license and report card sorted first so you can take a last-minute spot when one comes up.