It’s a great year if you’re a fan of Dungeness crab. There are an estimated harvest of 2.5 to 3 million pounds of crab to be harvested in Puget Sound this season. This past weekend I set out with some friends to North Puget Sound in search of DUNGI’s. We chose the west side of Camano Island and found a strategic place to set our crab pots. It was my buddy and his son’s first ever Dungeness Crabbing experience. We dropped our crab pots in about 60 feet of water on the incoming tide. Our method of crab bait was chicken and turkey. We retrieved our pots after 3 hours and were very pleased with the results. We had easy quick limits of very large DUNGI’s and there were plenty of smiles on everyone’s faces.
DUNGENESS CRABBING SEASON
Northern, Central, and South-Central Puget Sound is open through September 7th. Crabbing is allowed Thursday through Mondays only. Southern Puget Sound is open daily though September 7th. Hood Canal is open now through September 7th, however crabbing is only allowed Thursdays through Mondays. The San Juan Islands North opens August 13th through September 28th. Crabbing is also allowed Thursdays through Mondays only. The San Juan Islands South is open now through September 28th. Crabbing is allowed Thursdays through Mondays only. Strait of Juan de Fuca at Neah Bay east of the Bonilla-Tatoosh Line, Sekiu, Port Angeles, Deception Pass to East Point and East Point to Possession Point are all open now through September 7th. Crabbing is only allowed Thursday through Mondays.
NORTH PUGET SOUND DUNGENESS CRAB OPTIONS
Generally, crab will be present in larger numbers where there are a lot of Eelgrass beds, as this type of environment is the preferred habitat for Dungeness Crab. This grass is located in shallow estuaries. Crab prefer these areas as they offer protection from other predators. Some of the popular spots around Puget Sound and beyond are as follows:
- Padilla Bay
- Guemes Island
- Skagit Bay
- Birch Bay
- Utsalady Bay
- Camano Island State Park
- Port Susan
HOOD CANAL DUNGENESS CRAB OPTIONS
- Twanoh State Park
- Potlatch State Park
- Dabob Bay
- Lilliwaup
- Squamish Harbor
SOUTH PUGET SOUND DUNGINESS CRAB OPTIONS
- Nisqually Reach
- Case Inlet
- Carr Inlet
- Poverty Bay
CENTRAL PUGET SOUND DUNGENESS CRAB OPTIONS
- Alki Point
- Blake Island
- Shilshoe Bay
- Browns Bay
- Port Madison
RECREATIONAL CRABBING REGULATIONS
The daily limit is 5 male Dungeness crab in hard-shell per person. The minimum size is 6 1/4 inches. Fisherman can also keep six red rock crab of either sex daily. Dungeness crab must be recorded on catch record cards immediately after they are retained. Gear cannot be set or pulled out of the water from one hour after the official sunset to one hour before official sunrise. All shellfish gear must be removed from the water on closed days.
Be sure to familiarize yourself further with the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife Shellfish Regulations. Get outdoors and enjoy some of the best crabbing we’ve seen in years. Be safe, be respectful of others, have a great time and wear plenty of sunscreen 🙂
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