Marine Areas 8-1 and 8-2 reopening for late-season recreational crab fishing

OLYMPIA – Two marine areas of Puget Sound will reopen for recreational crab fishing beginning Thursday, Nov. 28, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) announced today.

Waters reopening to recreational crabbing on Nov. 28 are Marine Area 8-1 (Deception Pass, Hope Island, and Skagit Bay) and Marine Area 8-2 (Port Susan and Port Gardner).

Recent evaluations of these fisheries show signs of continued good crab abundance, indicating that the quota could be increased in-season, and the recreational fishery could reopen.

In each area, crabbing will be allowed seven days a week through Dec. 31. Sport crabbers are reminded that setting or pulling traps from a vessel is only allowed from one hour before official sunrise through one hour after official sunset.

The daily limit in Puget Sound is five Dungeness crab, males only, in hard-shell condition with a minimum carapace width of 6 1/4 inches. Crabbers may also catch six red rock crab of either sex per day with a minimum carapace width of 5 inches, and six Tanner crab of either sex with a minimum carapace of 4 1/2 inches. Additional information is available on WDFW’s website at https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/shellfishing-regulations/crab.

Crabbers must have a Puget Sound Dungeness crab endorsement to harvest Dungeness crab from Puget Sound. All Dungeness crab caught in the late-season recreational fishery must be recorded immediately on winter catch record cards, which are valid through Dec. 31. Winter catch record cards are free to those with crab endorsements and are available at license vendors across the state.

Winter catch reports are due to WDFW by Feb.1, 2020.  For more information on catch record cards, visit WDFW's website at https://wdfw.wa.gov/licenses/fishing/catch-record-card/dungeness.