The above photo still makes me laugh! How we captured this moment still astounds me. Proper crab handling is an important topic, but so are the details of the 2022 Puget Sound Crab season which has just been announced!
Here are some things you need to know to have a great crab season in Puget Sound in 2022.
2022 Puget Sound Crab Season Announced by WDFW on June 15th
Recreational crabbing to open July 1 for many Puget Sound marine areas
OLYMPIA The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) today announced Puget Sound summer crab-fishing seasons, which will get underway July 1 in many marine areas.
Crabbing seasons should be similar to recent years around most of Puget Sound,” said Don Velasquez, WDFW crustacean biologist. “Still, some areas with continued low abundance will see limited seasons or remain closed this year to promote Dungeness population recovery.
This summers crab seasons are scheduled to open as follows:
- Marine Areas 4 (Neah Bay east of the Bonilla-Tatoosh line), 5 (Sekiu), 6 (East Juan de Fuca Strait), 8-1 (Deception Pass), 8-2 (Port Susan/Everett), and 9 (Port Gamble and Admiralty Inlet): Open July 1 through Sept. 5, Thursdays through Mondays only.
- Marine Area 7 South (San Juan Islands/Bellingham): Open July 14 through Sept. 30, Thursdays through Mondays only.
- Marine Area 7 North (Gulf of Georgia): Open Aug. 18 through Sept. 30, Thursdays through Mondays only.
- Marine Area 10 (Seattle/Bremerton): Open July 3 through Sept. 5, Sundays and Mondays only.
- Marine Area 11 (Tacoma-Vashon Island): Open July 3 through August 30, Sundays and Mondays only.
- Marine Area 12 (Hood Canal) north of a line projected true east from Ayock Point: Open July 1 through Sept. 5, Thursdays through Mondays only.
The following areas will remain closed this season to allow weak Dungeness crab populations to increase:
- Marine Area 12 (Hood Canal) south of a line projected true east from Ayock Point.
- Marine Area 13 (South Puget Sound).
Summer seasons for the upcoming fishery are also posted on WDFW’s crab-fishing webpage.
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 5 inches carapace width.
Crab fishers may not set or pull shellfish gear from a vessel from one hour after official sunset to one hour before official sunrise. All traps must be out of the water on days when the fishery is closed.
Puget Sound crabbers are required to record their harvest of Dungeness crab on their catch record cards immediately after retaining the crab and before re-deploying the trap. Separate catch record cards are issued for the summer and winter seasons.
Catch record card information is crucial to managing Dungeness crab in Puget Sound. Completed summer catch record cards, regardless of whether any crab are caught, must be submitted to WDFW by Oct. 1, 2022.
It is important that crabbers return their catch record cards at the end of the season in order to help us better understand and manage this fishery said Velasquez. Only about 50 percent of crabbers record their catch at the end of the season, and this information is critical for setting future seasons. We need those catch record cards returned or reported online– whether or not you caught any crab — to determine levels of sustainable catch and set harvest seasons, said Velasquez.
Catch record cards are not required to fish for Dungeness crab in the Columbia River or on the Washington coast, where crabbing is open year-round.
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.
We are only a few weeks away from the July 1st Puget Sound Crab Openers in several of the marine areas, so it’s awesome to see this news released. Dropping crab pots in the Puget Sound from boats or piers is one of the best things about summers in the PNW.
I especially love it when you can drop your pots at the beginning of a day fishing for salmon and then come back and pick up a few keeper crab to add to your total for the day.
For a comprehensive page and everything you need to know about Puget Sound Crabbing, click here.
Also checkout our video on how to crab the Puget Sound:
Below is a complete rundown by Marine Area of the announced regulations with some commentary and information about tides:
Marine Areas 4 (Neah Bay east of the Bonilla-Tatoosh line), 5 (Sekiu), 6 (East Juan de Fuca Strait), 8-1 (Deception Pass), 8-2 (Port Susan/Everett), and 9 (Port Gamble and Admiralty Inlet):
Open July 1 – Sept. 5, Thursdays – Mondays.
Some of the best crabbing opportunities anywhere in Puget Sound will be in that 8-1 and 8-2 area. Why is that? Because freshwater influx drives a lot of the Dungeness crab reproductive productivity over 80% of the freshwater dumping into the Puget Sound comes from the Skagit and Skykomish Rivers.
Any sandy flats between 50-80 ft are going to have crab on the opener, but don’t neglect to drop pots deeper on longer soaks either. If I lived in the north sound I would definitely be hitting this crab opener.
Marine Area 7 South (San Juan Islands/Bellingham):
Open July 14 – Sept. 30, Thursdays-Mondays.
There are so many places to crab around the San Juans and North Sound, again because of that wonderful influx of fresh water from the Skagit. MA7 usually has to wait just a bit longer due to higher numbers of soft-shelled crabs.
Marine Area 7 North (Gulf of Georgia):
Open Aug. 18 – Sept. 30, Thursdays – Mondays.
Marine Area 10 (Seattle/Bremerton):
Open July 3 – Sept. 5. Sundays/Mondays only.
While the Sunday / Monday restrictions from last year are still in effect this year, it is nice that the season opens on July 3rd instead of July 11th. If you cannot wait until the 3rd, travel north a few miles and hit Area 9 or 8-2 on July 1st.
Marine Area 11 (Tacoma-Vashon Island):
Open July 3 – August 30. Sundays/Mondays only.
For the second year in a row, Marine Area 11 has a Dungeness crab season. There are plenty of places to pick up huge red rock crabs and keeper dungies even though most will likely struggle. You may have to go deeper and with longer soaks, but you can get it done, no doubt.
Marine Area 12 (Hood Canal) north of a line projected true east from Ayock Point:
Open July 1 – Sept. 5, Thursdays-Mondays.
Hood Canal is an hour+ drive away, but it’s still my favorite place to crab. Just beautiful scenery and lots of success in some reliable locations. There are a lot of freshwater influx areas (river mouths) to drop pots around and have early success. Later in that week though it will slow down and get tougher. This is where having great bait, longer soaks and deeper water comes into play.
Let’s take a quick look at July 1st and July 3rd Tides
This is going to be a challenging tide for many crabbing on the opener…Huge water movement from 9 ft down to -1.7 ft and you know some people will get on the water around sunrise, and try to get off the water right around low tide…Greater water movement means it’s more likely crab will be hunkered down and your pots will be traveling.
Please, please, please weight your pots!
Again, pretty big water movement after that early morning high tide, but not as extreme low tides, which is a little better. Again, super important to weigh your pots. I can’t wait to read all the Facebook posts about stolen pots this first week *sigh*
Happy crabbing and good luck this Puget Sound crabbing season!
