OLYMPIA – Marine Area 10 (Seattle/Bremerton) will reopen to daily recreational crab fishing on Nov. 22 and remain open through the end of the year, shellfish managers with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) announced today.

The decision to reopen the area comes after final summer catch assessments by WDFW indicated that the summer season did not fully take the state share, leaving catch available for winter crabbing opportunity. The area is expected to remain open for recreational crabbing seven days a week from Nov. 22 through Dec. 31, 2021.

Recreational crab fishing is also open seven days a week through Dec. 31 in Marine areas 4 (Neah Bay), 5 (Sekiu), 6 (Eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca), 7 (San Juan Islands), 8-1 (Deception Pass), 8-2 (Port Susan/Everett), 9 (Port Gamble and Admiralty Inlet), and the portion of 12 (Hood Canal) north of a line projected true east from Ayock Point.

Recreational crabbing will not reopen during the remainder of 2021 in Marine areas 11 (Tacoma/Vashon Island), 13 (South Puget Sound), and the portion of 12 (Hood Canal) south of a line projected true east from Ayock Point, said Katelyn Bosley, WDFW Puget Sound crustacean lead.

All crab caught in the Puget Sound recreational fishery from Oct. 1 through Dec. 31 should be recorded on winter catch cards, which are available at no charge from license dealers for those who already have a crab endorsement. Winter catch reports are due to WDFW by Feb. 1, 2022. For more information on catch record cards, visit WDFW’s website at https://wdfw.wa.gov/licenses/fishing/catch-record-card/dungeness. 

“It’s important that people submit their winter CRC reports after the season concludes on Dec. 31, even if they didn’t catch any crab,” Bosley said. “Reports showing no crab caught are just as important in calculating the catch as those that show lots of crab caught.”

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 keep six red rock crabs of either sex per day with a minimum carapace width of 5 inches, and six Tanner crabs of either sex with a minimum carapace of 4 1/2 inches. Additional information is available on the WDFW website at https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/shellfish/crab/.

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