Puget Sound recreational crab seasons kick off July 4 in most areas; Areas around Tacoma, South Puget Sound, and South Hood Canal are closed to promote Dungeness crab recovery

OLYMPIA - The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) today announced the Puget Sound summer crab fishing season, which gets underway July 4 with openings in a number of marine areas.

Marine areas 4 (Neah Bay - East of the Bonilla-Tatoosh line), 5 (Sekiu), 6 (East Juan de Fuca Strait), 8-1 (Deception Pass), 8-2 (Port Susan/Everett), 9 (Port Gamble and Admiralty Inlet), 10 (Seattle/Bremerton), and the portion of 12 (Hood Canal) north of a line projected true east from Ayock Point will open for sport crabbing on Thursday, July 4. The two subareas that comprise Marine Area 7 will open later in the summer to protect molting crab.

Summer seasons for the upcoming fishery are posted on WDFW's crab-fishing website at https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/shellfishing-regulations/crab.

WDFW continues to monitor crab abundance throughout Puget Sound and manages crab fisheries to maintain healthy populations, said Bob Sizemore, shellfish policy lead for WDFW.

"Dungeness crab populations in the southern reaches of Puget Sound and southern Hood Canal have experienced stress in recent years,” said Sizemore. “Crabbing in the northern portions of Puget Sound has been very good and should be good again this year," he added.

Recreational crabbing will be open Thursdays through Mondays each week. Crabbing is closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays through the summer seasons.  All shellfish gear must be removed from the water on closed days.

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Crab seasons are scheduled as follows:

• Marine areas 4 (Neah Bay east of the Bonilla-Tatoosh line), 5 (Sekiu), 6 (East Juan de Fuca Strait), 8-1 (Deception Pass), 8-2 (Port Susan/Everett), and 9 (Port Gamble and Admiralty Inlet): Open July 4 through Sept. 2.
• Marine Area 10 (Seattle/Bremerton): Open July 4 through August 3.
• Marine Area 12 (Hood Canal) north of a line projected true east from Ayock Point: Open July 4 through Sept. 2.
• Marine Area 7 South (San Juan Islands/Bellingham): Open July 11 through Sept. 30.
• Marine Area 7 North (Gulf of Georgia): Open Aug. 15 through Sept. 30.

The following areas are closed this season:

• Marine areas 11 (Tacoma-Vashon Island) and 13 (south Puget Sound): These areas continue to be closed to promote recovery of Dungeness crab populations in those areas.
• Marine Area 12 (Hood Canal) south of a line projected true east from Ayock Point:  This area is also closed to promote recovery of the Dungeness crab population in south Hood Canal.

The daily limit throughout Puget Sound is five Dungeness crab, males only, in hard-shell condition with a minimum carapace width of 6¼ inches. Fishers may also keep six red rock crab of either sex per day in open areas, provided those crab are in hard-shell condition and measure at least 5 inches across.

Crab fishers may not set or pull shellfish gear from a vessel from one hour after official sunset to one hour before official sunrise.

Puget Sound crabbers are required to record their harvest of Dungeness crab on their catch record cards immediately after retaining the crab and before re-deploying the trap. Separate catch record cards are issued for the summer and winter seasons.

Catch record cards are not required to fish for Dungeness crab in the Columbia River or on the Washington coast, where crabbing is open year-round.

WDFW is the state agency tasked with preserving, protecting and perpetuating fish, wildlife and ecosystems, while providing sustainable fishing, hunting and other outdoor recreation opportunities. WDFW's fish and shellfish management work supports outdoor livelihoods and lifestyles across the state.