When Does Crawfish Season Start in Louisiana? Here’s What to Know

🐊 KNGT 🐊 | Louisiana — Alright y’all, let’s talk crawfish. Because down here in Louisiana, asking “When is crawfish season?” is kinda like asking “When’s that cold front hittin’?” Everybody’s got an answer, but nobody’s real sure till it shows up.

According to the folks over at AcadianaCrawfish.com, crawfish season in Louisiana is about as tricky as diggin’ out the baby in a king cake. One minute you think it’s here, the next minute Mother Nature says, “Hold up, buddy,” and shuts it down.

See, there ain’t no perfect start and end date. Way too many things gotta line up… rain, warm weather, how the farms are lookin’, how the ponds are doin’, all kinda stuff. It’s like tryin’ to predict if the Saints are gonna win a game. Hopeful? Sure. Guaranteed? Not even close. But here’s what we do know.

When’s the Best Time to Find Crawfish in Louisiana?

Louisiana and Texas both have crawfish seasons, but ours runs longer, because of course it does. And when we get them warm temps early, that season can stretch from November all the way to July. Yeah… eight months of mudbug magic. But don’t get too excited, that kind of stretch is rare, like a calm day on I-210.

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A warm winter and plenty of rain? You might see crawfish poppin’ up around Thanksgiving or Christmas. But if you’re planning that big backyard boil, the safest bet, every single year, is Mardi Gras season.

That’s when our swamps get the most rain, especially from March through May, and that’s prime time for big, pretty crawfish.

Now, if you get yours from a crawfish farm, you might score crawfish even in those “off” months. Good farmers keep their ponds right, keep them babies growing, and stretch that season as long as God allows.

How Much Are Crawfish Gonna Cost Me in Louisiana?

Alright bud… sit down for this one.
Crawfish can run anywhere from less than $2 a pound to almost $7 a pound, and it all depends on how the season’s goin’.

Bad season? Prices jump like a scared bullfrog. Great season? You can afford extra corn and potatoes without cryin’ at the register.
Big crawfish, small crawfish, pretty crawfish, all that plays into it too. When the mudbugs are hard to find, the price climbs fast.

Planning a Crawfish Boil

If you’re gearin’ up for your next boil, Acadiana Crawfish says come see ’em. They’ll hook you up with fresh Louisiana crawfish, the good seasoning, and even show you how to cook ’em right. Which, let’s be honest, some of y’all need help with… because I’ve eaten some boils that tasted like dishwater.
So there ya go.

Crawfish season in Louisiana ain’t simple, ain’t exact, and ain’t ever the same twice.
But when it hits… buddy, you know it. Your nose smells it, your heart feels it, and your whole family shows up uninvited.
That’s crawfish season, SWLA style.