Commercial Crabbing Season Is Here
Westport Marina is busy busy busy! The crab pots are stacked everywhere, boats are getting loaded, bait bags are being filled, and crabbers are scrambling to get ready for Dump Day (when crabbers can start setting pots) on January 1. Commercial Dungeness crab season kicks off for Westport on Jan 4.
Crab pots piled high and waiting to be loaded
The community is invited to bake cookies for the commercial crab fleet. Cookies can be dropped off at Tides and Anchors between, 12pm-4pm through Dec. 31st. The community is also invited to a Fisherman’s Prayer on Dec. 31st, 5pm at the Marina Derby Booth between Floats 6 and 8.
Today, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife released the following":
The Washington commercial Dungeness crab season will kick off Dec. 31 or Jan. 4 along the coast, depending on the area.
Contact: Matthew George, 360-640-1066
Media contact: Bridget Mire, 564-224-0845
OLYMPIA — Washington’s coastal commercial Dungeness crab season will open Dec. 31 from Klipsan Beach on the Long Beach Peninsula south to Cape Falcon, Ore., including the Columbia River and Willapa Bay. It will open Jan. 4 from Klipsan Beach north to Destruction Island, including Grays Harbor.
Dungeness crabs support Washington’s most valuable commercial fishery. The value of state landings for the 2024-25 coastal commercial Dungeness crab season was $83.3 million, surpassed only by a record $88.2 million set during the 2021-22 season. Consumers can expect to find Washington-harvested Dungeness crab in dockside and local seafood markets. It is also exported worldwide, especially in East Asia.
The Washington, Oregon, and California fish and wildlife departments decide season openers each year as part of a tri-state agreement to cooperatively manage the West Coast Dungeness crab fishery. Opening dates are based on test fishing to determine crab condition. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) fishery managers sample crab each fall and early winter in testing areas near Westport and Long Beach. Find full test fishing results at psmfc.org/crab.
“This is the first season since 2021-22 in which crab quality has supported a December opener,” said WDFW Coastal Shellfish Manager Matthew George. “Strong market demand and high dockside prices made last year one of the state’s most valuable commercial Dungeness crab seasons, and we look forward to 2025-26 being another marker of a resilient fishery that is critical to Washington’s economy and livelihood.”
Dungeness crab, image by WDFW
Meat recovered from sampled crab must reach at least 23% of the total sample weight before Washington’s season opens. This threshold indicates a crab has molted, or shed its old shell and developed a hard shell, and that it will be in marketable condition with greater meat quantity and quality by the season opener. The Westport testing station, which typically passes first, met that threshold in mid-November, and the Long Beach station passed in mid-December.
Each year, WDFW works with tribal co-managers to develop harvest management plans to achieve resource sharing goals. These agreements include provisions such as earlier seasons for the smaller tribal fleets and special management areas closed to state fishers.
The Quinault Indian Nation’s (QIN) Dungeness crab season opened Nov. 15. QIN’s season typically begins 45-49 days before the state’s, depending on crab abundance. WDFW is in discussions with the Quileute Tribe to determine when the season will open north of Destruction Island.
WDFW reminds state crabbers to follow all current regulations — including those related to line marking, surface gear, buoy registration, and electronic monitoring —and to avoid setting gear in towboat lanes. New rules for line marking, buoy brands, and surface gear are in effect for the 2025-26 season to address marine life entanglements.
Visit WDFW’s website for more information about the coastal commercial Dungeness crab fishery and recreational crab fishing. Refer to our 2025-26 Washington Coastal Dungeness Crab Fishery Newsletter (PDF) for more information on the upcoming season and a recap of last season.
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.