When Is Crawfish Season in New Orleans?

Let's talk crawfish for a minute. The first time you eat crawfish in New Orleans, it’s messy, loud, and completely worth it, but only if you’re here at the right time of year. I don't want you to miss out on something we hold so dear to our culture, so I'll guide you on what to do to experience crawfish season in New Orleans.

New Orleans is a food lover’s paradise. There are so many delicious dishes that are unique to our area that locals and visitors alike enjoy. I have been lucky enough to grow up eating many of these dishes, now making them in my own kitchen as an adult. Crawfish are one of those things that I believe you either embrace or don't, as they are unique “delicacies” in this region of the country, and particularly in New Orleans.

While you can find crawfish at most seafood restaurants around the city during crawfish season, there is nothing like a backyard boil. We make many dishes out of crawfish, from pies to Étouffée to the boiled kind, and they are all worth a try. If you’ve never eaten crawfish from Louisiana, you’re in for a treat. We are happy humans when it’s crawfish season here in New Orleans, so let’s get into on of our most favorite seasons.

Boiled Crawfish Ready to Be Eaten

December - Caroling in the Square

You’ll be quite early for eating crawfish, and you may or may not get them fresh, but you can pair it with some delightful caroling in Jackson Square during Christmas. I’ve done this myself, and thoroughly enjoyed it, and if you pop into Muriel’s before or after, you will be able to enjoy a wonderful meal and some holiday cheer.

January - King’s Day/Carnival Season Kickoff

One of my very favorite days of the whole year is January 6th, as it is the start of carnival season here in New Orleans. You can pick up your favorite king cake and enjoy the sweet treat after the salty crawfish. Or, hear me out, you can get a crawfish king cake. Yes, it does exist, and you could just simply combine the two. Winner!

February - Be Our Valentine

Come and spend your Valentine’s Day with us here in New Orleans. You’ll likely be getting a dose of Mardi Gras as well, depending on when the season falls each year. Crawfish season will definitely be getting warmed up by this point. And you’ll be able to dive into multiple fresh dishes around town. Flying solo? It’s ok. Your valentine is your crawfish pie. It will never break your heart.

March - St. Patrick’s Day

We love a good celebration here in New Orleans, and St. Patty’s Day is no exception. All over the city there are parades and festivities revolving around this Irish merriment. And you bet your bottom that there are crawfish boils galore happening at many bars and restaurants for you to enjoy our delicacies. NOLA crawfish season is in full swing by March, so come and enjoy the best of the best with us.

April - French Quarter Fest

You might come at me for not putting Jazz Fest, but no. My preference as a local is FQF all the way. I used to enjoy Jazz Fest when it was $25 and mostly locals. So today’s version of it doesn’t appeal to me whatsoever. However, FQF does, and I go there every year on that Friday to enjoy live music and everything crawfish related to eat. This year I got a crawfish roll, similar to a lobster roll, and I was in heaven. You can eat plenty of food at a low commitment there, and it’s a free festival. No entry fee!

May - Memorial Day

So many people love to travel for Memorial Day, and why not come to New Orleans? It’s just beginning to get oppressively hot, but there is still a shot at a little breeze in the evening. One of my favorite things to do that weekend is Greek Fest, where you will find exactly zero crawfish dishes, but that doesn’t mean you can’t take a break for one meal and have something different.

June - Pride!

June is a great month. It’s my birthday month, it’s pride month, and it’s the tail end of crawfish season. Come and get your rainbow on, your dance on, and eat yourself silly for the last time until next year, stuffing yourself with crawfish. Hop from one spot to the next and try different dishes. New Orleans is the perfect place to be yourself, to eat as much as you want, and to enjoy life. June is the perfect month for this. It’s hot, but we’re all in this heat together.

Eating My Crawfish Roll at French Quarter Fest

Restaurants

The most logical place to get your crawfish is a restaurant around the city. When crawfish are in season, many of the more casual restaurants will serve boiled crawfish because locals go crazy for the stuff. We wait for this season half the year! Not all of these are located in New Orleans proper, but you would be good to go to any for some boiled crawfish or crawfish dishes.

My recommendations:

• Clesi's
• Frankie & Johnny's
• Seither's Seafood
• R&O Seafood

Bars

We love a good beer and crawfish afternoon, and some of the bars around town are the perfect spot to belly up and have both. These are two tried and true with locals, although you could likely find them at plenty of other neighborhood bars as well.

My recommendations:

• Bayou Beer Garden
• Wrong Iron
• Mid City Yacht Club

Seafood Market

My very favorite option for crawfish (boiled) is to go to one of the local seafood markets outside of New Orleans proper and pick them up and eat outside. I love popping open a strawberry Abita beer and eating my 3 lbs of crawfish from one of these places right on my back porch. Again, you have to travel for these, but I can confirm it is worth the effort.

My recommendations:

• Captain Sid's
• Schaefer's
• Jordan's

Crawfish and Abita Strawberry FTW!

If you want the absolute best crawfish in New Orleans, your timing to get them matters. Peak crawfish season typically runs from March through May, when they are in abundance, prices are lower, and the crawfish themselves are bigger and better quality. This is when you’ll see crawfish everywhere, from backyard boils to full-blown crawfish festivals and other spring events across Louisiana.

If you’re planning a trip specifically for crawfish, April is usually the sweet spot. By then, the season is fully in swing, and you’re getting the best combination of size, flavor, and price.

Local tip: Early season crawfish (January–February) tend to be smaller and more expensive. If you can wait, do. I almost never eat crawfish until after Mardi Gras, if that is at all a gauge on when to eat them.

Crawfish season in New Orleans typically starts winding down in late May, and really finalizing in June. Crawfish become harder to find, smaller in supply, and less consistent as temperatures rise.

That said, in warmer or wetter years, the season can stretch a little longer, but it’s always hit or miss toward the end. I personally don't eat them after May. The shells are too hard and the meat is too tough. If crawfish is a priority for your trip, don’t come past June.

Here’s how locals actually do it 👇. Simple to explain, harder to accomplish. I have faith in your peeling skills.

Twist, Peel, Eat

• Twist the head off the tail
• Peel the shell
• Pull out the meat and eat it
• Voila!

“Suck the Head”

After twisting the head off, suck out the juices from the head. This is where a lot of the flavor is, and yes, I will judge you (lovingly) if you don’t at least try it. An alternative (and my preference) is to take my pinky finger and dig out the stuff in there and eat it. It's really the best part, but you must do you. Just turn away if I gross you out.

• Eat It Like a Meal, Not a Snack
• Crawfish is usually served by the pound
• You can opt for sides of corn, potatoes, sausage, mushrooms, garlic
• It’s meant to be shared
• A crawfish boil is less about the food and more about the experience with friends: sitting outside, getting messy, and taking our time

Try Other Crawfish Dishes

If peeling them yourself is not your jam, or you want to expand your crawfish dish repertoire,  here are some other ways to enjoy them:

• Crawfish étouffée
• Crawfish pasta
• Crawfish pie
• Crawfish Monica
• Crawfish bread

Always a Stop at Jazz Fest 

Coming to New Orleans during crawfish season is a huge bonus to your trip. Maybe you came for other reasons, and crawfish dishes will be your lagniappe. We are wildly enthusiastic as locals about our local dishes, crawfish being one of our top ones. If you find yourself here sometime between December and June, make sure you try out a fresh dish. Most of the restaurants will have some iteration with crawfish, and you can officially become an honorary New Orleanian after you eat it.

Book your crawfish trip in your favorite and best area to stay in New Orleans, and follow my guide on 17 things to know before visiting New Orleans.

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