Fishing seasons by area
Season timing is set by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) area by area (Lobster Fishing Areas, or LFAs, for lobster), so 'lobster season' means something different depending on where a boat fishes out of.
Key facts
- Southwest Nova lobster season
- Late Nov-late May (~6 months)
- Setting Day (SW Nova)
- Last Monday of November
- Source: 2025 estimate, unconfirmed
- PEI lobster seasons
- Two: spring (May-June) and fall (Aug-Oct)
- Snow crab season (Gulf/NL)
- April-July
Lobster: Maritime LFAs
Southwest Nova (LFA 33/34) is the biggest lobster fishery by landed value and runs late November to late May, opening on "Setting Day" -- historically the last Monday of November. PEI (LFA 24-26) runs two shorter seasons instead of one long one: a spring season (roughly May 1-June 30) and a fall season (roughly August 9-October 10). New Brunswick's Bay of Fundy areas (LFA 23/25) run their own separate windows, and Newfoundland and Labrador's LFAs (3-14) and Quebec's Gaspé/Magdalen Islands fisheries add further regional variation. Always confirm the current-year dates for a specific LFA with DFO before relying on them.
Snow crab and other crab fisheries
Snow crab in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and off Newfoundland and Labrador typically runs April through July, a shorter and more concentrated season than lobster. Dungeness crab on the BC coast runs roughly June through November. Jonah crab is fished alongside lobster in parts of Nova Scotia, and a limited Arctic king crab fishery also exists (2025 estimate, unconfirmed for all season windows -- confirm with DFO for the current year and area).
Ports to know
Major Maritime lobster ports include Yarmouth, Digby, Shelburne, Liverpool, and Meteghan in Nova Scotia; Souris, North Lake, Tignish, and Malpeque in PEI; and Shediac and Caraquet/Shippagan in New Brunswick. In Newfoundland and Labrador, Port au Choix and Corner Brook are established fishing ports. On the BC coast, Prince Rupert, Port Hardy, and Tofino are common bases for crab and other fisheries.
Off-season
Once a season closes, most crews move into boat and gear maintenance, trap repair or replacement, and licence and paperwork renewals for the next opening. Storm days during an open season work the same way in miniature -- boats stay tied up and the crew works on gear instead of fishing. See our crews hub for how off-season timing affects hiring for the next opening.
Frequently asked questions
When is Setting Day in Nova Scotia?
Southwest Nova (LFA 33/34) traditionally opens on the last Monday of November (2025 estimate, unconfirmed) -- confirm the exact date with Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) each year, since it can shift.
Do lobster and crab seasons run at the same time?
No -- they're staggered by design in most areas. Snow crab in the Gulf and off Newfoundland typically runs spring into summer, while lobster seasons vary by LFA (area) from late fall through spring, which is why some crew work both fisheries in a single year.
What happens on a storm day?
Boats stay tied up at the wharf and nobody fishes -- lost fishing days are simply lost, since there's no shore-based way to make up the catch. Crews use the downtime for gear repair and boat maintenance.
Related guides
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