Stone Crab Season is Here: April Events on Marco Island

There’s nothing tastier than a Florida stone crab. If you are visiting Marco Island now through May 15, you’ll be lucky to get the opportunity to get your claws into a Southwest Florida seafood delicacy, stone crab.

Native to our local Gulf of Mexico waters, fisherman can legally harvest these creatures until mid-May. Less than 5 minutes away from the city of Marco Island rests Goodland, Florida, the stone crab capital of the world. Every day, local Florida fishermen depart in search of a plentiful haul of fresh Stone Crab claws. When they return to the marina, the claws are sold right off the boat or sent to several restaurants scattered across the Goodland marina basin.

From there, it’s time to dig in. Eating stone crab fresh off the boat allows for the claws to retain the sweet, succulent taste that is so compared to lobster. Sit down in one of the quaint local restaurants or purchase stone crab by the pound to take home your own haul for preparation in your luxurious rental kitchen.

Experience its fresh out of the gulf flavor served hot or cold, with a butter or mustard-based sauce on the side. Also, stone crab claws can be frozen for later use. If you choose to freeze your stone crab, warm the claws up in a pot of hot water for just a few minutes.

Stone crabs are sized based on claw length. Though medium claws require more work to extract the meat, usually using a mallet or fork, many claim medium size stone crab claws are more flavorful. Additionally, they tend to provide more meat per pound when compared to the large, jumbo, or colossal sized claws. Prices for local stone crab claws fluctuate but usually rest in the $16-20 range for a medium claw.

Many local Marco Island restaurants and fish markets also sell fresh stone crab. Our expert vacation rental concierge is at your service and can provide your family with knowledgeable advice to ensure you can get your claws on this local delicacy in an environment you will enjoy.