Shrimpers, it’s time to plan your next pot drop! That’s right, the 2022 spot shrimp season in Puget Sound has been announced by WDFW and we have all the details, links, and how-to information right here on this there blog.
Each year there are a few harvest recreation opportunities I really plan my entire schedule around. Puget Sound Spot Shrimp is near the very top of that list. I mean can you even imagine not having spot shrimp in your freezer over the next year? Neither can I. Whatever it takes, we make it happen and we make time to go after these tastiest of all critters we can harvest from the Puget Sound.
Let’s get right to the WDFW Press Release!
WDFW Press Release on the 2022 Spot Shrimp Season
Recreational spot shrimp catches in 2021 exceeded the annual quota in some areas, reducing the available catch this season in places like Discovery Bay, Hood Canal, and particularly Elliott Bay. Limiting the fishery in Elliott Bay to three hours in 2021 had little impact on the catch and resulted in a harvest overage large enough that it will preclude a 2022 fishery.
“Elliott Bay is a productive shrimping ground that sees a lot of participation each year,” Bosley said. “Following several years of harvest overages and resulting quota reductions, keeping the fishery closed in Elliott Bay should allow us to open next year with a full quota allotment.”
2022 Puget Sound recreational spot shrimp seasons are as follows:
- Marine Area 4 east of the Bonilla-Tatoosh line and Marine Area 5 (western Strait of Juan de Fuca): Open May 25 each day until further notice for all shrimp species. Daylight hours only.
- Marine Area 6 (Port Angeles Harbor, eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca, excluding the Discovery Bay Shrimp District): Open May 25-28, June 9-11, June 23-25, July 7-9, and July 21-23. Daylight hours.
- Marine Area 6 (Discovery Bay Shrimp District): Open on May 25 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. only.
- Marine Area 7 South (Iceberg Point, Point Colville, Biz Point, Salmon Bank) and Marine Area 7 East (northern Rosario Strait, Bellingham Bay, Sucia and Matia islands, Strait of Georgia): Open May 25-28 and June 9-11. Daylight hours.
- Marine Area 7 West (San Juan Channel, Speiden Channel, Stuart, and Waldron islands): Open May 25-28, June 9-11, June 23-25, and July 7-9. Daylight hours.
- Marine Areas 8-1 (Saratoga Passage, Deception Pass) and 8-2 (Port Susan, Port Gardner, Everett): Open on May 25 and June 9 from 8 a.m. to noon only. Note: Divers may take shrimp by hand or hand-held device from 7 p.m. until midnight on May 25 and June 9 in Marine Area 8-2.
- Marine Area 9 (Edmonds, Port Townsend Bay, Admiralty Inlet): Open on May 25 from 8 a.m. to noon only.
- Marine Area 10 (Elliott Bay): Will remain closed for 2022 (this is the portion of Marine Area 10 east of a line from West Point to Alki Point).
- Marine Area 10 (outside Elliott Bay): Open May 25 from 8 a.m. to noon (this is the portion of Marine Area 10 west of a line from West Point to Alki Point).
- Marine Area 11 (Tacoma-Vashon Island): Open May 25 from 8 a.m. to noon.
- Marine Area 12 (Hood Canal Shrimp District): Open on May 25, May 28, June 9, and June 23 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. only.
- Marine Area 13 (South Puget Sound, Carr Inlet): Closed for spot shrimp harvest this season due to continued low abundance.
Additional dates and times may be announced if enough quota remains after the initial fishing days listed above.
WDFW reminds shrimpers that traps can be set one hour before official sunrise during any open period in the marine areas without specified harvest hours. These include marine areas 4, 5, 6 (except for the Discovery Bay Shrimp District), 7 East, 7 South, and 7 West. Traps must be removed from the water in these same areas by one hour after sunset at the end of an open period. The start and end times for all other areas are listed above.
WDFW Press Release on 4/13/2022
Marine Area 6 (Eastern Strait) Spot Shrimp Season 2022
Below is the 2022 season information for MA6:
Marine Area 6 (Port Angeles Harbor, eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca, excluding the Discovery Bay Shrimp District): Open May 25-28, June 9-11, June 23-25, July 7-9, and July 21-23. Daylight hours.
Marine Area 6 (Discovery Bay Shrimp District): Open on May 25 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. only.
Here’s data from the 2020 Spot Shrimp Season on catch rates:
| Marine Area | Boats | Anglers | Pots | Pots/Boat | Shrimp | Shrimp/Boat |
| Discovery Bay | 70 | 204 | 216 | 3.09 | 13,028 | 186.11 |
| 6 (excluding disco bay) | 623 | 1,722 | 1,922 | 3.09 | 97,919 | 157.17 |
These tides don’t look too bad for MA6 with only about 3 ft of water movement corresponding to the opener. Remember, MA6 outside of Disco Bay can often be big water shrimping. Your pots need plenty of weight and you need to look carefully at your weather window to be safe.
Marine Area 7 (San Juan Islands) Spot Shrimp Season 2022
Below is the 2022 season information for MA7 South, East and West:
Marine Area 7 South (Iceberg Point, Point Colville, Biz Point, Salmon Bank) and Marine Area 7 East (northern Rosario Strait, Bellingham Bay, Sucia and Matia islands, Strait of Georgia): Open May 25-28 and June 9-11. Daylight hours.
Marine Area 7 West (San Juan Channel, Speiden Channel, Stuart, and Waldron islands): Open May 25-28, June 9-11, June 23-25, and July 7-9. Daylight hours.
Here’s data from the 2020 Spot Shrimp Season on catch rates:
| Marine Area | Boats | Anglers | Pots | Pots/Boat | Shrimp | Shrimp/Boat |
| 7 South | 318 | 954 | 1,032 | 3.25 | 63,455 | 199.54 |
| 7 East | 200 | 553 | 624 | 3.12 | 29,553 | 147.77 |
| 7 West | 472 | 1,360 | 1,481 | 3.14 | 85,337 | 180.80 |
I’m not posting tides here for the openers because there are many current-specific factors depending on where you are going.
Shrimping in the islands can be extremely good, especially to the west and popular spots like Iceberg Point. Some of these areas are unprotected and you will need to pick your weather window and use plenty of weight in your pots.
Marine Area 8-1, 8-2, 9, 10 and 11 (Puget Sound) Spot Shrimp Season 2022
Below is the 2022 season information for MA 8-1, 8-2, 9, 10 and 11:
Marine Areas 8-1 (Saratoga Passage, Deception Pass) and 8-2 (Port Susan, Port Gardner, Everett): Open on May 25 and June 9 from 8 a.m. to noon only. Note: Divers may take shrimp by hand or hand-held device from 7 p.m. until midnight on May 25 and June 9 in Marine Area 8-2.
Marine Area 9 (Edmonds, Port Townsend Bay, Admiralty Inlet): Open on May 25 from 8 a.m. to noon only.
Marine Area 10 (Elliott Bay): Will remain closed for 2022 (this is the portion of Marine Area 10 east of a line from West Point to Alki Point).
Marine Area 10 (outside Elliott Bay): Open May 25 from 8 a.m. to noon (this is the portion of Marine Area 10 west of a line from West Point to Alki Point).
Marine Area 11 (Tacoma-Vashon Island): Open May 25 from 8 a.m. to noon.
Here’s data from the 2020 Spot Shrimp Season on catch rates:
| Marine Area | Boats | Anglers | Pots | Pots/Boat | Shrimp | Shrimp/Boat |
| 8-1 & 8-2 | 202 | 697 | 678 | 3.36 | 46,044 | 227.94 |
| 9 | 69 | 231 | 242 | 3.51 | 17,901 | 259.43 |
| 10 & Elliot Bay | 154 | 577 | 537 | 3.49 | 39,038 | 253.49 |
| 11 | 85 | 278 | 289 | 3.40 | 13,526 | 159.13 |
There’s a bit more water movement on this opener than in some seasons, but shrimpers should have no issue getting their limits especially if they can do maximum damage in the first few hours.
If your first pot drops come up with minimal shrimp, you may be in for a tough grinding 4 hours of shrimping. Use your sonar and everything we’ve shared on this blog about picking the right shrimping pots based on using a chart. Refer to the links below for more information.
Marine Area 12 (Hood Canal) and MA13 Spot Shrimp Season 2022
Below is the 2022 season information for MA 12:
Marine Area 12 (Hood Canal Shrimp District): Open on May 25, May 28, June 9, and June 23 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. only.
While, again there’s a bit more water movement, those first few hours will be critical towards getting early limits.
There seem to be more weekday spot shrimp openings in MA12 this year vs weekends. I’m guessing this is a reference to the overharvest from last year…something to keep an eye on if the weekday shrimp openings result in additional quota and openings later in the season.
Resources to help you get quick limits of Puget Sound spot shrimp
Now, if you are like me, you pretty much only shrimp a few times a year (there’s a Canadian option if you want to shrimp more often!). So I’m guessing you are looking for some easy primers to remind you of all the things you know or maybe even take your shrimping game to the next level. Let’s take a look at a few resources:
You have to start with our comprehensive guide to puget sound spot shrimping blog page. This guide attempts to explain and organize all of the topics related to having a successful sport shrimp season and connects to videos and other resources on the topic and some trip reports from previous shrimping efforts.
If you’re looking for a well rounded video on all of the topics related to spot shrimp, checkout this one:
How about something more advanced, complete with diagrams and underwater footage of shrimp entering the pot? That’s right, footage from 300 ft under!