Keith Lusher 04.02.25
Crawfish boil season is in full swing in the south, and crawfish prices across Louisiana have fallen to their lowest point of the 2025 season. Live crawfish are now averaging $3.64 per pound and boiled crawfish at just over $6 per pound. Seafood markets reported a 25-cent price drop this week, marking the second consecutive week of declining prices.
The start of April traditionally marks the heart of crawfish season, characterized by mild weather, plentiful supply, and good-sized crawfish. This typical seasonal pattern coincides with increasing harvests from Louisiana’s crawfish farms, creating favorable conditions for both producers and consumers.
Todd Fontenot, crawfish expert with the LSU Ag Center, notes that production has improved significantly. “Last year, the prices were off the charts because there was no production. Hopefully, last year was an outlier,” Fontenot said, estimating that this year’s season is seeing approximately 65% more production than last year.
The 2025 season represents a significant improvement over 2024’s historically poor harvest, when drought and unfavorable weather conditions severely limited supply. Last year’s prices reached as high as $16.99 per pound in some New Orleans restaurants, making crawfish prohibitively expensive for many traditional gatherings, especially around Easter.
Agricultural experts estimate that this year’s production is approximately 65% higher than last year, though still below what would be considered a normal season. Some lingering effects from the 2023 drought that impacted the 2024 season may still be affecting production levels.
This year’s Easter celebrations should see much better crawfish availability, with sack prices expected around $125, compared to last year’s $225 per standard 30-35 pound sack. The warm weather Louisiana has been experiencing is likely to benefit the remainder of the season, potentially resulting in larger crawfish as the increased temperatures make them more active and prone to molting, which facilitates growth.
While farmers report varied success rates across different fields, the overall industry outlook is positive for the remainder of the 2025 season, with adequate supply and reasonable prices expected through the spring.
Keith Lusher is an award-winning outdoor journalist who resides in Covington, Louisiana. He owns and operates NorthshoreFishingReport.com and writes a weekly outdoor column for the Slidell Independent Newspaper. He also writes for the St.Tammany Parish Tourism Commission’s VisitTheNorthshore.com. He is the former host of The Northshore Fishing Report Radio Show and is on the board of the Louisiana Outdoor Writers Association. Keith contributes to numerous publications both online and in print and prides himself on promoting South Louisiana’s unique fishery. To contact Keith email: keithlusherjr@gmail.com
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