Coastal Dungeness crab Tri-State policy representatives from the Washington, Oregon, and California Departments of Fish and Wildlife have agreed to open the commercial Dungeness crab season within the following areas:
Klipsan Beach, (including Willapa Bay) to Cape Falcon, Oregon
73 hour presoak begins (setting gear): 8 a.m. on Dec. 28
Hold Inspections: beginning at noon on Dec. 30
Start date (pulling gear): 9 a.m. on Dec. 31
A reduced pot limit will be in effect until 8 a.m. on Jan. 1
Klipsan Beach to Queets River (including Grays Harbor)
73 hour presoak begins (setting gear): 8 a.m. on Jan. 1
Hold Inspections: beginning at noon on Jan. 3
Start date (pulling gear): 9 a.m. on Jan. 4
The decision to open the area between Cape Falcon, Oregon, and Klipsan Beach, is based on crab condition tests conducted by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife that indicate shell condition and meat recovery within the Long Beach Test Area currently meet the minimum meat recovery criteria as defined in the Tri-State Dungeness Crab Pre-Season.
The customary Dec. 1 season start was delayed because of low meat yield in Long Beach Peninsula waters.
The season opening between Point Chehalis, and Queets River was made based on the terms of harvest management plans and in coordination with tribal co-managers. The State-Quinault Harvest Management Plan for the 2025-2026 season uses a sliding scale based on landings during the first 31 days of the Quinault fishery to determine the head-start for the Quinault fleet. Co-managers agreed to a 47-day delay of the state fishery in the area between Pt. Chehalis and Destruction Island, including Grays Harbor, resulting in an opener on Jan. 4.
WDFW’s co-management agreement with the Quileute Tribe uses different criteria to open the state fishery between the Queets River and Destruction Island and for the area north of Destruction Island. The agreement uses a sliding scale approach based on Quileute catch for the area between Queets and Destruction Island. In addition, the State-Quileute Harvest Management Plan ensures there are 20 fishable days for Quileute fishers between Dec. 1 and Jan. 15, prior to opening the state season north of Destruction Island. WDFW and Quileute managers will continue tracking fishable days and Quileute catch and will announce the opening of this area in a future notice.
Pot limits
Fishers participating in the fishery south of Klipsan Beach or in Willapa Bay are subject to reduced pot limits. Fishers with permanent pot limits of 500 and 300 will be allowed to use 400 or 250 pots, respectively until 8 a.m. on Jan. 1. Unused buoy tags are prohibited from being attached to crab gear and must be on board any participating vessel until the temporary pot limits are lifted. Vessels are prohibited from storing or possessing crab pots on board in excess of the vessels pot limit more than 48-hours prior to pot limits being lifted.
Quinault Special Management Areas (SMA):
The Quinault primary SMA will be closed to state fishers beginning at 8 a.m. Jan. 1. The primary SMA is scheduled to remain closed to state fishers until further notice.
The Quinault primary SMA is described as the coastal waters shoreward of a line approximating the 27- fathom depth curve between Raft River and Copalis River.
