Crawfish Season 2026: Peak Months and Regulations in Texas and Louisiana

George Macias cleans crawfish after the catch at Bayou Best Crawfish Farm in Sour Lake, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images) Houston Chronicle/Hearst Newspap/Houston Chronicle via Getty Imag

Your favorite seafood restaurant, buffet, or fishing buddy will soon have crawfish.

Crawfish, also known as "mudbugs," are considered a delicacy in the Southern U.S. According to The Houston Chronicle, the tight window to gather mature crawfish typically opens in late winter and stretches into spring.

How good the crawfish season is depends on several factors, including weather, supply, and size.

Here's what to know about what constitutes a good season for crawfish.

According to Southern Living, crawfish season depends on weather and location, but they’re typically most abundant in the spring and early summer, from late February through May.

"Determining crawfish season isn't as simple as picking dates on a calendar and sticking to them year after year—weather, especially temperature and precipitation, significantly affects crawfish availability," Southern Living said.

"The length of the season also depends on your location. Louisiana's crawfish season stretches a bit longer than the Texas season. But even though crawfish season has a different beginning or end, there is still a right time to get your crawfish."

What makes a good crawfish season?

Several establishments will have crawfish to sell, but that doesn't mean you're getting the best value.

In an interview with The Houston Chronicle, Sour Lake crawfish farmer Jake Tortorice III shared what factors go into having a quality crawfish season.

"Crawfish are cold-blooded, so water temperature controls everything they do," he said. "When the water gets cold, crawfish go into a mild hibernation. They’ll come up out of their burrows when water levels rise, but they’re not feeding or moving much. In warm water, say around 70 degrees, a crawfish might move a mile in a day. In 50-degree water, it may only move six inches. When they’re not moving, they’re not feeding, and when they’re not feeding, they’re not growing."

Tortorice said warmer weather will determine the quality of a crawfish boil.

"We want consistent daytime temperatures above 70 degrees, with sunshine and occasional rain," he explained. "Rain adds oxygen to the water, which makes for a healthier environment."

What month has the biggest crawfish?

According to the Shreveport Times, peak season runs from March through May and is the ideal time for crawfish, when harvests are at their largest and most plentiful.

What's the proper way to eat crawfish?

To eat crawfish, twist off the head, sip the flavorful juices (“fat”), then peel the shell from the tail to get to the meat. It’s often summed up as: twist, suck, peel and eat. With larger crawfish, you can also crack open the claws to enjoy the meat inside.

In what states are crawfish illegal?

Crawfish may be a way of life in states like Louisiana and Texas, but in more northern and midwestern states, importing, selling, or even possessing live crawfish is prohibited.

Regulations limit the transport, importation and sale of live crawfish to prevent them from taking hold in non-native environments, where they can harm infrastructure and outcompete native species.

Here are six states where it's illegal to transport live crawfish.

• Illinois– Illegal to import, sell, or possess live red swamp crawfish.
• Wisconsin– Prohibited from transporting or possessing live crawfish; past convictions have resulted from violations.
• Minnesota – Possession, import, sale, etc., of live crawfish is illegal without a permit, and even dead/frozen crawfish require special permission
• Michigan– Bans sale, import, or possession of live Louisiana crawfish as an invasive species.
• Alaska – Prohibits import, sale, and possession of live red swamp crawfish.
• Hawaii – Also bans import, sale, and possession of live crawfish to protect island ecosystems.

Feb 17, 2026