Coastal commercial Dungeness crab opening delayed in Washington

Published 1:30 am Monday, November 24, 2025

In consultation with Dungeness crab Tri-State fishery managers from Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is delaying the opening of the 2025-26 Washington coastal Dungeness crab fishery through at least Dec. 15..

The decision to delay the Washington coastal Dungeness crab fishery was based on crab condition tests results from the Long Beach test area that does not currently meet the minimum meat recovery criteria. Tri-State Dungeness crab Pre-Season Testing Protocols specify that after the first round of testing, if any area does not meet the minimum meat recovery criteria (23% north of Cascade Head and 24% south of Cascade Head) a delay is required, and additional testing is conducted before a season opening date can be confirmed.

A second round of meat recovery is scheduled to be conducted in the Long Beach test area before Dec. 7. WDFW will provide additional information regarding the season opening as soon as possible following the completion of the upcoming Long Beach Test.

In consultation with Tri-State fishery managers and industry advisors, Oregon has also announced a coastwide delay of the ocean commercial Dungeness crab season until at least Dec. 16 to allow for the completion of additional meat recovery testing off Washington and to avoid disrupting traditional fishing patterns.