Lobster Buoys Print

Lobster buoys are crucial to lobstering. Each one marks the place where traps have been set, attached by a line or rope to as many as three different traps. Buoy lines for lobstering were in use as early as 1850 in Maine. Originally, lobster buoys were created out of wood, mostly black cedar. Today’s buoys are typically made of Styrofoam or plastic with a plastic or wooden handle in the middle.

When choosing buoy color or colors, one must make sure that no one else in the area is fishing with similar ones or a similar pattern. Buoys must be clearly and permanently marked with the lobsterman’s license number. Each buoy is approximately 12 inches in length and painted in a way that the color pattern is perfectly clear from any direction. The pattern must also be displayed on the boat itself. Fun fact: there are about 3 million lobster traps in Maine’s waters!

The buoys depicted in this artwork are inspired by the shack at the Cape Neddick Lobster Pound in Cape Neddick, Maine.

Each piece is printed on high quality archival Canon luster photo paper and comes with a certificate of authenticity.

6x9, 8x10 and 8x12 artwork includes an acid-free white mat.

12x18 prints are printed with a half inch white border on 13x19 paper and are shipped rolled in a rigid cardboard tube.


Frames shown are for illustrative purposes only and are not available for purchase. Find a great selection of frames to compliment your new print at www.frameusa.com.


Due to settings/device preferences, the color on your screen may vary slightly from the actual color of the print.