We are a week into October and the Hudson Beach FL coast is right where it should be, which is to say, in the middle of its best season. Florida stone crab season opens Thursday, October 15 across Pasco County, the Cotee River Bike Fest takes over downtown New Port Richey this weekend, Funville Farm's fall festival keeps rolling, and the mullet run is at its peak with the fish right behind the bait in Hudson, Florida. Here is your mid-October community update from Kathleen Paglaiccetti.
Stone Crab Season Opens October 15: What to Know
The date locals circle every fall is almost here. Florida stone crab season opens Thursday, October 15 and runs through May 1, which means the Gulf coast's favorite sweet claw meat starts showing up fresh at markets and on menus from Hudson Beach FL to the Pasco County coast and beyond. The rules come straight from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission: only claws may be harvested, each claw must measure at least 2-7/8 inches from the elbow to the tip of the lower immovable finger, and claws may not be taken from egg-bearing crabs. The daily bag limit is 1 gallon of claws per person or 2 gallons per vessel, whichever is less.
One detail worth flagging for anyone planning to drop traps this year: recreational harvesters age 16 and up must complete a free online stone crab trap registration through the FWC and mark each trap with their name and address. You may set and bait traps up to 10 days before the season opens, but you cannot tend them until opening day. Traps may be set now, so if you want your gear in the water for the first weekend of the season, this is the week to get it ready. The local markets in Hudson, Florida, including Seafood Connection FL and Whitney & Son, are already taking orders for the first claws of the year, and the jumbo ones go fast.
Cotee River Bike Fest: This Weekend in New Port Richey
If you are looking for a reason to head down the coast this weekend, the Cotee River Bike Fest is it. The city's signature mid-October festival returns to downtown New Port Richey Friday, October 9 through Sunday, October 11, along Grand Boulevard and Bank Street. Three days of live music, motorcycles, local vendors, food, and cold drinks fill the streets right on the Cotee River, a short drive from Hudson Beach FL. It has been a Pasco County tradition since 2005, and it pairs perfectly with a riverside walk or a stop at one of the new waterfront spots in New Port Richey.
The events page has the full rundown, along with the rest of the mid-October calendar, including the Scarecrow Festival at the Pioneer Florida Museum in Dade City on Saturday, October 10 and New Port Richey's free Concert in the Park at Sims Park on Saturday, October 17.
The Mullet Run Is at Its Peak
On the water, mid-October is the heart of the mullet run along the Hudson Beach FL shoreline. The big schools of mullet are pushing down the coast right now, and every predator in the gulf is following: snook, redfish, tarpon, jack crevalle, ladyfish, and speckled trout stack up behind the bait, with kingfish and mackerel working the deeper water offshore. The best way to read the action is the same trick the retirees on the pier use: watch the slicks on the surface and the diving terns. Where the birds are working and the water is churning, the mullet are moving and the game fish are behind them.
Early mornings and the late afternoon bite remain the most reliable windows. For launch points, shore spots, and the full species rundown, our complete fishing spots guide is the place to start, and the early October fishing report has the latest on the bite and the clean water on the Pasco County beaches.
Fall Festivals & Family Weekends
For families, the fall calendar in Hudson, Florida and Pasco County is in full swing. Funville Farm's 2026 Fall Festival at 13725 Hudson Ave in Hudson runs its pumpkin patch, hayrides, petting zoo, gem mining, and jumping pillow every Saturday and Sunday from 10 AM to 6 PM through November 2, all included with the $12 admission (ages 2 and under free). October is prime time for it, and their site posts the weekly details.
The farm stands around the coast are stocked for the season too. Cole's Farm Market on US-19 in Hudson and Produce Patch on State Road 52 are both filling their bins with pumpkins, squash, and mums, and the Spring Hill Farmers Market runs every Saturday. It is the same harvest-season lineup we covered in the fall farm stands guide, and it is all still going strong.
Beach & Paddling Conditions: October's Glassy Mornings
On the water, the Hudson Beach FL coast is in its paddler's sweet spot. The launches at SunWest Park and Hudson Beach are quiet on weekdays, the water is glassy in the early hours, and the afternoon storms that ruled the summer are mostly gone. The Gulf is still warm enough to wade, swim, and paddle comfortably, while the mornings finally carry a crisp edge. It is the same calm-water magic described in the mid-summer paddleboarding guide, only better as the air cools.
Wildlife watchers get a bonus this month. Dolphin activity stays strong along the shoreline, and manatee sightings start to increase in the rivers, creeks, and canals of Pasco County as the water cools. Give them space and enjoy the show. At Werner-Boyce Salt Springs State Park, fall migration brings songbirds, wading birds, and raptors through the salt marsh, making it one of the best birding stretches of the year in Hudson, Florida.
Mid-October Community Notes
Order stone crab ahead. The markets in Hudson, Florida start taking orders as opening day approaches, and the jumbo claws go first. If you want claws on the table for the weekend after October 15, call your market this week.
Farmers markets keep their rhythms. The Friday night markets in downtown Hudson and New Port Richey continue through the fall, the Spring Hill Farmers Market runs Saturdays year-round, and the Fresh Market at Wiregrass returns the first and third Saturdays of each month. Cooler evenings make these the best sunset strolls on the Pasco County coast.
One note on the dining strip: the waterfront bar Ollie's on the Beach on Clark Street has closed, so the dependable open-air choice with your feet near the sand remains Sam's Beach Bar at 6325 Clark Street, an easy walk from the beach and a reliable stop after a paddle. Our dining guide is kept current with the open spots and the closures.
The Bottom Line: Mid-October is the peak of the season on the Hudson Beach FL coast. Stone crab season opens October 15 across Pasco County, the Cotee River Bike Fest rolls into New Port Richey October 9-11, Funville Farm's fall festival runs weekends through November 2, and the mullet run is at its peak with the fish right behind the bait in Hudson, Florida. Get out there, say hello to a neighbor, and enjoy the slow, warm fall on the Gulf coast.
See you at the pier,
Kathleen
