Winter Dungeness crab fishing resumes Oct. 1
Several Puget Sound marine areas will reopen daily for winter recreational crab fishing from Saturday, Oct. 1 through Dec. 31.
They include east of the Bonilla-Tatoosh line (Marine Area 4), Sekiu-Pillar Point (Area 5), eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca (Area 6), San Juan Islands (Area 7), eastern side of Whidbey Island (Areas 8-1 and 8-2), northern Puget Sound/Admiralty Inlet (Area 9), and Hood Canal north of a line projected true east from Ayock Point (Ara 12).
Central and southcentral Puget Sound (Areas 10 and 11) will not immediately reopen due to uncertainties related to the amount of state share estimated to be taken in the summer recreational fishery. Managers will re-evaluate the harvest estimates from Marine Areas 10 and 11 after the Catch Record Card (CRC) reporting period closes and all data is entered to determine if enough quota remains to allow a winter fishery.
Hood Canal (Area 12) south of a line projected true east from Ayock Point, and southern Puget Sound (Area 13) will remain closed for the winter season due to the ongoing conservation closure of all crab harvest.
The daily limit in all Marine Areas will be five for Dungeness crabs, six for Red Rock crabs, and six for Tanner crabs. All Dungeness crabs retained during this time must be recorded on a winter catch record card. For more information, go to the WDFW crab webpage.
