Stone Crab regulations in North Carolina

· Shellfish & crabs · 2026 season

Is it a keeper? A stone crab is a keeper today if it measures at least 2.75 inches, with No possession limit during the open season; claws only.

Stone Crab size limit, season and daily limit

Where	Season	Size limit	Daily limit
NC coastal and joint waters (to 3 mi)	August 16 – June 14	2.75 inch minimum	No possession limit during the open season; claws only

Notes

Closed June 15 – August 15.

Exact NC Division of Marine Fisheries wording

Season: Closed June 15 – August 15
Size: 2.75" Propodus Length
Limit: no possession limit during open season
statewide — as printed: “Stone Crab Claws (J) | 2.75" Propodus Length | UNLAWFUL TO POSSESS from June 15 – August 15 (no possession limit during open season)”

Source: NC Division of Marine Fisheries, captured 2026-09-29 (2026 season).

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About the stone crab

Species of crustacean

The Florida stone crab is a crab found in the western North Atlantic, from Connecticut to Colombia, including Texas, the Gulf of Mexico, Belize, Mexico, Jamaica, Cuba, the Bahamas, and the East Coast of the United States. The crab can also be found in and around the salt marshes of South Carolina and Georgia. The closely related species Menippe adina, the gulf stone crab, is sometimes considered a subspecies as they can interbreed to form hybrids, and they are treated as one species for commercial fishing, with their ranges partly overlapping. The two species are believed to have diverged approximately 3 million years ago. The species is widely caught for food.

Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Regulations on this page come from NC Division of Marine Fisheries, not Wikipedia.

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Frequently asked

What is the size limit for Stone Crab in North Carolina?

2.75 inch minimum in North Carolina state waters.

How many Stone Crab can you keep per day in North Carolina?

No possession limit during the open season; claws only.

When is Stone Crab season in North Carolina?

August 16 – June 14.

Is my Stone Crab a keeper today?

A stone crab is a keeper today if it measures at least 2.75 inches, with No possession limit during the open season; claws only.