Crab fishing seasons and regulations and Dungeness crab reporting requirements may vary by area. Click a crab area for daily limits, minimum size, and other details. Snapshot as of 2026-07-16. Puget Sound seasons are typically announced each June and September, so check WDFW for the latest.
| Zone | Status | Days open | Season dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marine Area 1 — South Coast/Pacific Ocean | Open | Everyday | Crab pots: Open Dec. 1 through Sept. 15. Crab gear other than pots: Open year-round |
| Marine Area 1 — Columbia River | Open | Everyday | Year-round |
| Marine Area 2 — Westport/Ocean Shores | Open | Everyday | Crab pots: Open Dec. 1 through Sept. 15. Crab gear other than pots: Open year-round |
| Willapa Bay - Area 2-1 | Open | Everyday | Crab pots: Open Nov. 15 through Sept. 15. Crab gear other than pots: Open year-round |
| Grays Harbor - Area 2-2 | Open | Everyday | Crab pots: Open Dec. 1 through Sept. 15. Crab gear other than pots: Open year-round |
| Marine Area 3 — LaPush | Open | Everyday | Crab pots: Open Dec. 1 through Sept. 15. Crab gear other than pots: Open year-round |
| Marine Area 4 — Neah Bay - East of Tatoosh-Bonilla line | Limited season | Thursday – Monday only | Open July 2 through September 7, Thursdays through Mondays only. |
| Marine Area 4 — Neah Bay - West of Tatoosh-Bonilla line | Open | Everyday | Crab pots: Open Dec. 1 through Sept. 15. Crab gear other than pots: Open year-round |
| Marine Area 5 — Sekiu and Pillar Point | Limited season | Thursday – Monday only | Open July 2 through September 7, Thursdays through Mondays only. |
| Marine Area 6 — East Juan de Fuca Strait, Port Angeles Harbor, Discovery Bay | Limited season | Thursday – Monday only | Open July 2 through September 7, Thursdays through Mondays only. |
| Marine Area 7 — South - San Juan Islands/Bellingham | Limited season | Thursday – Monday only | Open July 16 through September 28, Thursdays through Mondays only. |
| Marine Area 7 — North - Gulf of Georgia | Closed | None | Opening date to be determined and announced later. Typically opens in mid August. |
| Deception Pass - Area 8-1 | Limited season | Thursday – Monday only | Open July 2 through September 7, Thursdays through Mondays only. |
| Port Susan/Everett - Area 8-2 | Limited season | Thursday – Monday only | Open July 2 through September 7, Thursdays through Mondays only. |
| Marine Area 9 — Admiralty Inlet | Limited season | Thursday – Monday only | The portion of Marine Area 9 excluding waters north of the Hood Canal bridge to a line connecting Olele Point and Foulweather Bluff. Open July 2 through September 7, Thursdays through Mondays only. |
| Marine Area 9 — Port Gamble/Port Ludlow | Limited season | Thursday – Monday only | The portion of Marine Area 9 north of the Hood Canal bridge to a line connecting Olele Point and Foulweather Bluff. Open July 2 through September 7, Thursdays through Mondays only. |
| Marine Area 10 — Seattle/Bremerton | Limited season | Sunday and Monday only | Open July 5 through September 7, Sundays and Mondays only. |
| Marine Area 11 — Tacoma-Vashon Island | Limited season | Sunday and Monday only | Open July 5 through August 17, Sundays and Mondays only. |
| Marine Area 12 — Hood Canal - North of Ayock Point | Limited season | Thursday – Monday only | Open July 2 through September 7, Thursdays through Mondays only. |
| Marine Area 12 — Hood Canal - South of Ayock Point | Closed | None | Closed until further notice. |
| Marine Area 13 — South Puget Sound | Closed | None | Closed until further notice. |
Source: WDFW Crab Fishing Regulations. Rules change; verify on WDFW before fishing.
Slack is the short window around each high or low tide when current slows. This site shows a ±30 minute window around each high and low, which is often the easiest time to feel bites and work pots or rings from a pier.
Those tiles are the next four calendar days when crabbing is open for the selected pier under current WDFW weekday and season rules — not just the next four days on the calendar.
Gold slack windows overlap the hours shown on the tide chart. White slack times are still real for that day, but fall outside the chart’s From/To window.
Each pier is paired with a nearby NOAA tide station. Water heights and timing differ around Puget Sound, so Edmonds, Mukilteo, Bellingham, and Tacoma each use their own station predictions.
Those are WDFW vessel shellfish-gear hours for the selected day: typically from 1 hour before official sunrise to 1 hour after official sunset. Gear must come out on closed days. Always confirm the current rule on WDFW gear rules.
Yes. This site summarizes tides and published season status for convenience. You are responsible for a valid license, size/sex/soft-shell checks, marine-area seasons, and any emergency rule changes from WDFW crab regulations.
See Rules & WDFW, Crab Facts, and Misc in the menu for official pamphlets, crab ID, knot walkthroughs, and steaming tips.