Recreational crabbing to open July 3 in many Puget Sound marine areas

OLYMPIA – The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) announced today Puget Sound summer crab-fishing seasons will get underway July 3 in many marine areas.

“Crabbers will find that the 2025 summer seasons are very similar to those in 2024," said Don Velasquez, WDFW crustacean biologist. "The areas with closures and limited seasons from last year remain in place for 2025.”

This summer’s 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 3 through Sept. 1 with crabbing allowed Thursdays through Mondays only.
• Marine Area 7 South (San Juan Islands/Bellingham) is open July 17 through Sept. 29 with crabbing allowed Thursdays through Mondays only.
• Marine Area 7 North (Gulf of Georgia) will open sometime in mid-August. The exact opening date will be announced later once crab shell condition sampling is completed.
• Marine Area 10 (Seattle/Bremerton) is open July 6 through Sept. 1 with crabbing allowed Sundays and Mondays only.
• Marine Area 11 (Tacoma-Vashon Island) is open July 6 through Sept. 1 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 3 through Sept. 1 with crabbing allowed Thursdays through Mondays only.

The following areas will remain closed this season 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 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 these staff collect 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 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 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 traps from moving and becoming lost. For a list of regulations and how to properly set crab traps, refer to the WDFW’s crabbing webpage.

Puget Sound crabbers are required to record their harvest of Dungeness crab on their catch record cards (CRC) immediately after retaining the crab and before re-deploying the trap. Anglers who crab in Marine Area 7 North and South after Labor Day weekend will need a winter CRC. A separate CRC is issued for the summer and winter seasons.

CRC information is crucial to managing Dungeness crab in Puget Sound. Completed summer CRCs, regardless of whether any crab are kept, must be submitted, or reported online to WDFW by Oct. 1, 2025.

“Recreational crabbing is a popular summer activity that most family members can participate in,” Velasquez said. “It is important that every crabber record their Dungeness catch immediately on their CRC and report that information as noted above. All of us should be good stewards of this resource by submitting accurate and timely catch information.”

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

Licenses can be purchased from WDFW’s licensing website and from hundreds of license vendors around the state.

A proposed rule prohibiting deploying crab and shrimp fishing gear at Washington state ferry terminal closure zones is expected to be announced soon. When implemented, the rule would prohibit commercial or recreational crabbing, shrimping, and fishing with purse seine or gillnets near 19 Department of Transportation-managed ferry terminals in Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands.

These types of fishing and shellfishing equipment can cause significant and costly damage to state ferries. The closure would prohibit using these types of fishing gear within 400 yards from the end of the ferry terminal dock and 100 yards on each side. The rule would not apply to trolling or other methods of recreational salmon, lingcod and finfish fishing. View the proposed rule on WDFW’s rulemaking webpage. Refer to the WDFW emergency fishing rules webpage for updates.

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.

WDFW works to preserve, protect, and perpetuate fish, wildlife and ecosystems while providing sustainable fish and wildlife recreational and commercial opportunities.