Recent freezing temps impact crawfish supply and price tag in Texas Hill Country

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BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) - Crawfish season is making its return to the Brazos Valley, but local Cajun restaurant owners said it’s coming with a steep price tag.

Local experts say the recent freezes that swept through the Brazos Valley also traveled through the state of Louisiana, significantly impacting the crawfish supply and leading to higher costs for both wholesale buyers and consumers.

Korey Thomas, the owner of The Remnants of Nawlins in Bryan, and Wade Beckman, the owner of Shipwreck Grill also in Bryan, said the 2026 crawfish season is not off to a strong start. However, they noted that low supply and high demand are common at the beginning of each crawfish season.

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While the freeze won’t kill this year’s crawfish season entirely, it will drive up prices considerably. However, that’s not the only issue buyers are facing.

“When they’re in short supply and the prices are high, the quality is also in question. So you’re going to have smaller, less healthy crawfish,” Beckman said.

Both Thomas and Beckman said the starting consumer prices for crawfish this year are between $10 and $15 per pound, several dollars higher than last year. Wholesale prices are also elevated, with current market rates hovering around $7 per pound.

“The current market price is $7, and that’s very high for the beginning of a season but not as high as we saw a couple years ago when we had the drought, and they were closer to 10, 12, even $15 a pound. Our cost, that’s just wholesale,” Beckman said.

However, restaurant owners expect relief as the season progresses. Crawfish season peaks between March and May, when supply typically increases and prices begin to drop.

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Crawfish producers are expected to release new wholesale prices each week throughout the season, so costs will continue to fluctuate.

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