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Crawfish Sourcing Guide: Where To Buy Fresh Crawfish?

October 14, 2024

A bunch of crawfish in a brown bag

Where can I buy live crawfish? For non-Southern natives, we get this question a lot, so we decided to put together a sourcing guide to make it simple. 

Of course, where you live plays the biggest role in how easy or difficult it is to get your hands on some fresh crawfish. If you’re a Louisiana local, or live in most Southern states, you have an abundance of options available and likely already know your favorite spot. However, if you're interested in seeing all of your options and prices so you can shop around, use the app below. 

[The Crawfish App]

For our out-of-state customers, finding live crawfish can be more of a challenge. However, it is easier today than ever with the ability to buy live crawfish online. So, where can I buy live crawfish online? Check out our friends at Louisiana Crawfish Company.

 

Where to Purchase Live Crawfish

A bunch of crawfish

1. Local Seafood Markets

Although some grocery stores do stock live crawfish from time to time, you’re more likely to find them at smaller seafood markets. Not only do the mom-and-pop shops tend to carry less common aquatic critters, but they often have higher-quality farm-raised crawfish.

Where can I buy live crawfish in Louisiana? There’s more than likely a specialty shop nearby. If you’re not a Louisianan, you may need to make a few phone calls. 

If you’re still not having any luck finding crawfish in stock, ask your local fishmonger for advice. Even if they’re not able to source some for you, they might be able to point you in the right direction of where to buy fresh crawfish.

2. Online Crawfish Shops

These days, you can buy pretty much anything on the internet. Crawfish are no exception. However, there are some location-specific limitations you should know about.

Where can I buy live crawfish online? Our personal favorite: LA Crawfish Company.

Please note: If you live in Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Washington, or Wisconsin you will not be able to buy live crawfish due to laws. 

If you do reside in one of the states where live crawfish cannot be shipped legally, and you’re still not able to find fresh crawfish locally, you may need to settle for boiled crawfish, which are legal to ship. Either way, you’re probably going to have to pay steeper shipping fees, as the crawfish will need to be shipped fast with special packaging.


Cook Your Crawfish Perfectly With Ease

As you can see, sourcing farm-raised crawfish or wild-caught crawfish isn’t always easy, but the results are worth the effort. Once you have your crawfish, it’s time for the fun part! 

Make sure you have crawfish boil equipment ready for the feast. You’ll need a big ol’ 80-100 quart pot, a crawfish burner, crawfish pot cooler, crawfish paddle, seafood boil seasoning bag, and any lagniappe that strikes your fancy—corn, potatoes, onions, sausage, lemons, and celery all work great. Try our patented designs, and enjoy a stress-free crawfish boil.





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