Orange Beach, Ala. – (OBA) – Crawfish lovers will spend a lot more on their mud bug treats in 2024 due to recent weather conditions in Louisiana. Not long ago, crawfish were going for $4.99 a pound. Today, prices are hovering around $9 to $13. 

It all boils down to supply and demand. And while demand is always strong in our area, this year’s supply of crawfish from Louisiana won’t be able to satisfy Baldwin’s County’s craving for the freshwater crustacean. It’s this fresh water—or lack thereof—that’s causing the shortage because crawfish need shallow water for growth and survival. 

Suffering from its worst drought since 2000, 70% of Louisiana finds itself in “exceptional drought,” the worst rating on the 5-level U.S. Drought Monitor scale. These lower water levels lead to decreased availability of food and shelter for crawfish, impacting their overall population and size. This, in turn, results in lower yields for crawfish farmers which leads to higher prices for hungry consumers.

"It’s going to be the worst season ever," according to Louisiana State University AgCenter crawfish specialist Mark Shirley. "The population is just not there. The buyers are offering $7 and $8 a pound to the fishermen just to try to get them to go out and bait traps and go find them. It could be whatever price, they’re just not there."

Lack of rain has also caused crawfish to delay the release their spawn, meaning crawfish season will start later with fewer pounds to go around. What’s more, summer’s drought and heat caused a high mortality of carryover crawfish and brood stock that farmers typically catch in December, January, and February.

"We may see a little bit of production come later in the season sometime in the spring, but for right now, because there's so few carryover crawfish that are big enough to get to the traps, that's why the catch is very low," Shirley said. 

Here’s to a much better harvest in 2025. Until then, let’s all show a little patience as farmers wait on weather conditions to improve so they can restock their supplies. And even if there’s no crawfish on the menu, you can still support these fine local seafood restaurants by ordering something else while we wait on more crawfish to return. 

Below is a list of businesses that carry crawfish in our area…

Rouses

Tacky Jacks Seafood

Bon Temps Poboys 

OSO at Bear Point Harbor

King Neptune's Seafood Restaurant