Buyer's Guide
When Is Crawfish Season? A Wholesale Buyer's Calendar
When Louisiana crawfish season runs, when supply and pricing are best, and how to plan your wholesale buying around it.
The short answer
Louisiana crawfish season typically runs January through July. Supply is short and prices are highest early (January–February) and late (June–July), with the peak — the best combination of volume, size, and value — usually landing in the spring, roughly February through May. Exact timing shifts each year with weather and water conditions. Crawfish tail meat is the exception: it's frozen and available year-round, independent of the live season.
The season window
For live and boiled crawfish, plan on a January-through-July season in Louisiana. The first sacks come in during the cold months, volume builds through late winter into spring, and the season winds down as summer sets in.
The heart of the season — when the most acreage is producing — is generally spring. That's typically when supply is deepest, sizes are largest, and per-pound prices are at their most favorable.
Early, peak, and late supply
Early season (January–February): supply is limited and prices are high. Crawfish tend to run smaller and are often sold with little to no size grading because there simply isn't enough volume to sort aggressively.
Peak season (roughly February–May): the sweet spot. Volume is strong, sizes are up, and grading and value are at their best.
Late season (June–July): supply tightens again and prices climb back up as ponds slow down and the weather warms.
What drives the timing
Crawfish are tied to the weather and the water. A cold, wet winter and a well-managed, well-flooded pond bring crawfish on; a dry fall or a hard freeze can push the start later or thin out the run. Because of that, the exact start, peak, and end move by a few weeks from year to year — the January-to-July window is the pattern, not a guarantee.
Planning your buying calendar
If you run a seasonal boil program, line up your supplier before the season opens so you're on a scheduled route when volume arrives. If you're buying for value and size, the spring peak is your window. And if you need crawfish on the menu year-round, build around tail meat, which doesn't depend on the live season at all.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does crawfish season start and end?
Louisiana crawfish season typically runs from January through July. It starts in the cold winter months, peaks in spring, and winds down by mid-summer — though the exact dates move a few weeks each year with the weather and water conditions.
When is crawfish cheapest and biggest?
Usually in the spring peak, roughly February through May, when the most acreage is producing. That's when supply is deepest, sizes are largest, and per-pound prices are most favorable. Early and late in the season, supply is short and prices are higher.
Can you get crawfish out of season?
Live and boiled crawfish are seasonal (January–July), but crawfish tail meat is vacuum-packed and frozen, so it's available year-round to wholesale accounts nationwide — independent of the live-crawfish season and delivery routes.
Ready to put farm-direct crawfish on your menu?
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