Recreational crab season opens Sunday, Aug. 20 in Marine Area 7 (Gulf of Georgia)

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Photo by WDFW

OLYMPIA – Recreational crab fishing in the San Juan Island’s Marine Area 7 North (Gulf of Georgia) opens Sunday, Aug. 20, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) announced today.

The area will be open Aug. 20 through Sept. 30, Thursdays through Mondays only.

“Now that we've met our shell condition criteria, we are happy announce the opening of this fishery," said Aaron Dufault, WDFW’s Puget Sound Shellfish Manager.

WDFW conducts test fisheries annually to ensure that fisheries avoid opening before crab shells have had sufficient time to harden. Earlier this week, WDFW delayed the start of Marine Area 7 North season due to high proportions of softshell crab in the area, which was original scheduled to begin on Aug. 17. WDFW and tribal co-managers conducted a third test fishery this week to evaluate crab shell condition, which has been softer than normal this time of the year. The latest test fishery this week passed the 80% hard crab threshold for legal sized males, allowing both state and tribal co-managers to reopen their fisheries.

Summer seasons for Puget Sound crab fisheries open are posted on WDFW's crab-fishing webpage. WDFW will have creel staff at many boat launch and access sites this summer to gather additional information from recreational crabbers. The information collected by these staff is important for management of the crab fishery.

The daily limit throughout Puget Sound 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 with a minimum carapace width of five inches.

Crab fishers 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 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. A more comprehensive list of regulations which pertain to crab traps can be found on the WDFW’s shellfish gear rules page. All traps must be removed from the water on days when the fishery is closed.

All Dungeness crabs retained through Labor Day must be immediately recorded on a summer catch record card (CRC). Dungeness crabs retained after Labor Day must be recorded on a winter CRC. Red rock and tanner crabs don’t need to be reported on a CRC. Separate catch record cards are issued for the summer and winter seasons.

Puget Sound crabbers are required to record their harvest of Dungeness crab on catch record cards immediately after retaining the crab and before re-deploying the trap. Catch record card information is crucial to managing Dungeness crab in Puget Sound. Completed summer catch record cards, regardless of whether any crab is caught, must be submitted, or reported online to WDFW by Oct. 1, 2023.

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.

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.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife works to preserve, protect, and perpetuate fish, wildlife and ecosystems while providing sustainable fish and wildlife recreational and commercial opportunities.