THE FOLLOWING ORIGINATED WITH THE WASHINGTON DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) announced today that summer crab fishing seasons will get underway July 2 in several Puget Sound marine areas. Other marine areas will open later in July or in mid-August.
“Crabbers will find that the 2026 summer seasons are similar to those in 2025,” said Don Velasquez, a WDFW crustacean biologist.
“Crabbing should continue to be strong in northern marine areas such as Admiralty Inlet, Deception Pass, Port Susan, and around the San Juan Islands,” said Velasquez. “However increasing effort and lower Dungeness crab abundance observed during recent surveys by WDFW and tribal biologists require us to limit crabbing to two days per week in marine areas around Seattle and Tacoma in central and south-central Puget Sound.”
This summer’s recreational crab seasons are scheduled to open as follows:
- Marine Area 4 (Neah Bay east of the Bonilla-Tatoosh line), Marine Area 5 (Sekiu and Pillar Point), Marine Area 6 (East Juan de Fuca Strait, Port Angeles, Discovery Bay), Marine Area 8-1 (Deception Pass), Marine Area 8-2 (Port Susan/Everett), and Marine Area 9 (Admiralty Inlet) are open July 2 through Sept. 7 with crabbing allowed Thursdays through Mondays only.
- Marine Area 7 South (San Juan Islands/Bellingham) is open July 16 through Sept. 28 with crabbing allowed Thursdays through Mondays only.
- Marine Area 7 North (Gulf of Georgia) will open sometime in mid-August. The opening date will be announced later once crab shell condition sampling is completed.
- Marine Area 10 (Seattle/Bremerton) is open July 5 through Sept. 7 with crabbing allowed Sundays and Mondays only.
- Marine Area 11 (Tacoma-Vashon Island) is open July 5 through Aug. 17 with crabbing allowed Sundays and Mondays only.
- Marine Area 12 (Hood Canal) north of a line projected true east from Ayock Point is open July 2 through Sept. 7 with crabbing allowed Thursdays through Mondays only.
The following areas will remain closed to protect weak Dungeness crab populations:
- Marine Area 12 (Hood Canal) south of a line projected true east from Ayock Point is closed until further notice.
- Marine Area 13 (South Puget Sound) is closed until further notice.
Summer seasons for the upcoming fishery are also posted on WDFW’s recreational crab seasons and areas webpage.
WDFW will have catch samplers (also known as creel checkers) at many boat launches and water access sites this summer to gather additional information from recreational crabbers. Catch samplers typically measure Dungeness crabs and obtain a total weight of the crabs retained to monitor the health of the population. The information these staff collect is important for crab fishery management.
WDFW asks all crabbers and fishers to respect catch sampling staff and understand that in some locations boats may be checked for both Dungeness crab and for salmon or other finfish.
The daily limit throughout the Puget Sound Management Area, which includes all marine areas east of the Bonilla-Tatoosh line in Marine Area 4 (Neah Bay), is five Dungeness crab, males only, in hard-shell condition with a minimum carapace width of 6 1/4 inches. Fishers may also keep six red rock crab of either sex per day in open areas, provided the crab are in hard-shell condition and measure at least five inches carapace width.
Recreational crabbers may not set or pull shellfish gear from a vessel from one hour after official sunset to one hour before official sunrise. Each unattended trap or pot must have its own buoy line and a separate buoy that is permanently and legibly marked with the first name, last name, and permanent address of the licensed harvester. All traps must be removed from the water on days when the fishery is closed.
Make sure crab pots are properly weighted down to avoid them from moving and becoming lost. Refer to WDFW’s crabbing webpage for additional regulations including gear rules and tips for how to properly set crab traps.
Crab fishers age 16 and older must have a valid 2026-2027 recreational fishing combination or Shellfish/Seaweed license available on WDFW’s website, through the MyWDFW mobile app, or from license dealers and WDFW regional offices. All crabbers in the Puget Sound Management Area regardless of age must possess a Puget Sound Crab Endorsement and paper or electronic catch record card (CRC/eCRC).
Puget Sound crabbers are required to record their harvest of Dungeness crab on their CRC/eCRC immediately after retaining the crab and before re-deploying crabbing gear. A separate CRC/eCRC is issued for the summer and winter seasons. Anglers who crab in Marine Area 7 North and South after Labor Day will need a winter CRC/eCRC.
CRC/eCRC information is crucial to managing Dungeness crab in Puget Sound. Completed summer CRC/eCRCs, regardless of whether any crab are kept, must be submitted or reported online to WDFW by Oct. 1, 2026.
“It is crucial that every crabber record their Dungeness catch immediately on their CRC, whether it be the paper version or the electronic version,” said Velasquez. “Extra care will be necessary to keep paper CRCs intact and legible now that the waterproof paper is no longer available. Those choosing the electronic CRC option and who record catch with that system will automatically report harvest. Those choosing the paper option will need to remember to report their harvest by the deadline printed on the CRC. Accurate and timely catch information is essential if we are to provide this summer opportunity for family recreation into the future.”
A CRC/eCRC is not required to fish for Dungeness crab on the Washington Coast where crabbing is open year-round including Grays Harbor, Willapa Bay, and the lower Columbia River. Refer to WDFW’s coastal crabbing webpage for more information including seasonal pot closure rules.
A rule adopted in 2025 prohibits setting crab/shrimp gear from a vessel near 19 designated Washington State Department of Transportation-managed ferry terminals in Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands (Marine Areas 7, 8-1, 8-2, 9, 10, and 11). To view the complete rule, refer to the WDFW fishing rules webpage.
Crabbers and other boaters are reminded to follow Washington rules to help protect endangered Southern Resident killer whales (SRKWs). Under state law recreational vessels in Washington waters must stay 1,000 yards away from Southern Resident killer whales (SRKW). Refer to the SRKW webpage for more information on the regulations. For details about steps boaters and fishers can take to keep the whales – and themselves – safe, refer to the Be Whale Wise website.
Before heading out on the water this season, crabbers can test their skills at identifying different types of crab in Puget Sound and their understanding of regulations and best practices by taking the Puget Sound crabber knowledge quiz. Visit the WDFW webpage to learn more.
