On the night of October 24, the monitoring station at Three Sisters Springs read 74 degrees and a salinity of 0.33 parts per thousand. That is nearly fresh water. The constant spring flow is the reason manatees crowd into the north end of Kings Bay every winter. It is also the reason a stone crab trap dropped there has little chance.
Stone crabs live in salt water. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission describes them as animals of coastal and offshore waters, found on sandy or muddy bottoms, rocky outcrops and seagrass beds anywhere from the shoreline out to about 200 feet deep. Recreational season opened October 15. For a waterfront owner thinking about hanging a trap off the dock, the first question is how salty the water behind the house runs.
The Bay Gets Saltier as It Moves Away From the Springs
The Southwest Florida Water Management District divides Kings Bay into two zones. Water in the northern part flushes faster and connects more directly to the river, and its springs are "typically fresh." The southern, open-water part of the bay is more estuarine, and many of the springs there are brackish. According to the district, the bay holds both freshwater and saltwater fish, with largemouth bass and tarpon in the same system.
South and west of town the water turns fully coastal. St. Martins Marsh Aquatic Preserve runs along the Citrus County coast from Crystal River down to Homosassa and reaches west to the St. Martins Keys. The state describes it as an estuarine system of salt marshes, tidal creeks, seagrass beds, hardbottom and mangroves, and lists stone crab among its species alongside blue crab, pink shrimp and bay scallop.
That marsh is the backyard for Ozello, the canals off Fort Island Trail and the creeks running toward Homosassa. The salt gradient lines up roughly with the map. Close to the springs and the historic downtown, the water is the freshest in the system. Out past the U.S. 19 corridor, toward Ozello Trail and the Gulf, the water matches the habitat FWC describes.
Part of the Fresh End Is Closed to Fishing Anyway
The spring end has a second limit. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, fishing is not allowed in Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge waters. Those waters make up less than 5 percent of Kings Bay and include the interior of Three Sisters Springs, the King Spring and Tarpon Hole area, and the water around Warden Key. All established manatee sanctuaries are closed to fishing as well. The rest of the bay is open.
The service may also close extra sanctuary areas for a while to protect wintering manatees. November runs right into that season. FWC keeps its manatee protection zone maps for Citrus County online, and the agency notes that other local, state or federal zones may apply beyond what those maps show.
So the spring end of the bay is the freshest water and also the most restricted. Owners near the springs can enjoy the season at the dinner table and leave the trapping to the marsh side of town.
What FWC Allows From a Private Dock
FWC's recreational stone crab page sets out the rules that apply to traps, including ones fished from a dock. In summary, the page says:
- Registration. Anyone 16 or older, including people who normally don't need a fishing license, has to complete a free recreational stone crab trap registration through GoOutdoorsFlorida.com before using traps. Each person gets registration numbers that start with "S."
- Trap markings. The registration number, plus the owner's full name and address, has to be legible and permanently attached.
- Trap limit. Each person may use up to five traps, and only traps registered to that person.
- Escape rings. Beginning with the 2024-25 season, plastic and wood traps need an unobstructed 2 3/16-inch escape ring in a vertical outside wall.
- Buoys. Buoys need a 2-inch "R" when a trap is set in open water, but a trap fished from a dock doesn't need a buoy at all.
- Pulling traps. Traps are pulled by hand and only in daylight. A vessel rigged with a trap puller counts as commercial. Traps also have to stay out of marked navigation channels.
- Claw size and bag limit. Only claws 2 7/8 inches or longer may be taken, and nothing may be taken from egg-bearing crabs. The daily limit is 1 gallon of claws per person or 2 gallons per vessel, whichever is less.
The season in state waters runs through May 1 and closes May 2. FWC adds that both claws may legally be taken, but a crab that keeps one can feed faster and regrow the missing claw sooner. This is general information, not legal advice. FWC's own page is the version that counts, and FWC is the agency to ask about any specific setup.
Traps left behind cause their own trouble in the marsh. The St. Martins Marsh preserve staff remove derelict crab traps at cleanup events because the traps can shade out seagrass, and damaging seagrass inside the preserve can bring a fine of up to $1,000.
Stocking Up Close to the Water
The tackle shops closest to the salt side post their inventories online. Stock changes with the season at all of them, so call before driving out for anything specific.
| Shop | Address | What its posted list shows |
|---|---|---|
| Ozello Keys Marina | 2355 S Ripple Path, Crystal River | Traps, rulers and nets among its tackle; fresh mullet at $6.60 for 2 pounds; frozen mullet and squid |
| Salty Hook Bait and Tackle | 9687 W Fort Island Trail, Crystal River | Frozen whole mullet, mullet chunks, frozen crab, sardines and squid |
| Ed's Tackle Shop | 983 N Suncoast Blvd, Crystal River | Live shrimp, plus frozen sardines, threadfin, squid and chum |
Ozello Keys Marina's list is the only one that names traps and rulers, but it doesn't say whether those are stone crab traps. It also notes that its bait is seasonal and asks customers to call for availability. Salty Hook sits on Fort Island Trail itself, which makes it the shortest drive for the canal streets heading toward Fort Island Gulf Beach.
When the Trap Comes Up Empty
A dock trap is a hobby. For a full platter, two family seafood businesses cover the area from either end.
Shelly's Seafood Market, 5380 S. Boulevard Dr. in Homosassa, sells stone crab retail and wholesale. Its posted hours are Wednesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Shelly's posts its claw grades by count per pound:
- Medium: 6 to 8 claws per pound
- Large: 4 to 5 claws per pound
- Jumbo: 2 to 3 claws per pound
- Floater: mixed and seasonal
The market also points out that the claws come already cooked. Its advice is to eat them cold with warm butter or boil them for no more than a minute. Prices and quantities change, and Shelly's asks customers to call.
The Crab Plant, 201 NW 5th Street, sits on Kings Bay at the head of the Crystal River, on the freshest stretch of water in town. The Kofmehl family runs it and works its own boats, fishing for stone crab and grouper. The business sold stone crabs and grouper wholesale for years before it opened a retail market in 2014. It has a restaurant on site too. The phone number is 352-795-4700.
Peck's Old Port Cove is 9.3 miles down Ozello Trail at 139 N Ozello Trail. Its tourism listing shows it open every day from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., with indoor seating and waterfront tiki seating. The "Famous Crabs" on its menu are a blue crab dinner, so treat it as a blue crab stop for the drive out. Call 352-795-2806 before you make the trip.
Saturday, Nov. 7, on Citrus Avenue
The season's big public event is back on the bayside streets of downtown. The 19th Stone Crab Jam Music Festival is presented by the Kings Bay Rotary Charitable Foundation at 610 North Citrus Avenue on Saturday, November 7. The festival's ticket page lists noon to 9 p.m. and four live bands. The City of Crystal River's calendar shows six bands on three stages running until 10 p.m. The organizer's page is the better guide to gate times.
Adult tickets are $15 at the gate, cash or card, or $12.50 bought online ahead of time plus processing fees. Children 12 and under get in free. Parking is free at Crystal River High School, 3195 Crystal River High Drive, with a $2 shuttle to the festival. Private lots nearer downtown charge. The event is open-container, with beer, wine, mixed drinks, food trucks and seafood alongside food for the non-seafood crowd. The city calendar says it happens on the first Saturday of November every year, with proceeds going to area charities. Kings Bay Rotary reports giving more than $44,000 to local charities and community organizations in 2024-25.
Owners along Fort Island Trail or in Ozello can pull their traps that morning and still make it to Citrus Avenue by the time the gates open at noon.
If you're curious how the water behind a particular home toward Ozello or Fort Island Trail compares, the team at Edward Johnston can take you through it from our Homosassa office at 155 Douglas Street.
