This page contains information about the latest regulations and daily landings for the Puget Sound commercial Dungeness crab fishery. Please get in touch with WDFW staff if you have questions about any of the requirements.
Announcements:
Updated: 11/07/2024
Season Information
If the total Region 1 harvest exceeds 1.4 million pounds by November 3, 2024, then all regions will close until November 10, 2024. If the 1.4-million-pound trigger is not met then fishing will continue uninterrupted.
100,000 pounds of the Region 1 commercial share will be reserved for harvest at a time to be decided following coordination with the industry.
See the current season packet for details: Season Packet
See the current emergency regulation: WSR-24-22-120 (PDF)
Registrations
License Registrations
Please register the Crab Management Region that each license will be fished using the License Registration Form. Harvesters must re-register when they move a license between management regions or stop fishing. If you no longer have gear fishing you must declare your licenses and vessel as "stacked out". In the event, that a license(s) are transferred to a new vessel or fisher they must register the new fisher, vessel to the region they are fishing in.
Buoy Registrations
Please register your buoy colors using the Buoy Registration form. Registration is mandatory before the commencement of fishing. If you need assistance please contact Department using the contact information detailed below.
Electronic Fish Ticket Reporting is mandatory. Please visit the WA-Tix Website for additional information.
Contacts:
For questions regarding the Puget Sound commercial crab fishery, please contact the following:
- Crab.Report@dfw.wa.gov
- Katelyn Bosley 360-302-6053
- Brad Speidel at 253-263-5560
Current Landings, Fishery Status, and Gear Deployment
Current landings updated: 2024-11-13 09:44:05.943777
| Region | Status | Pot Limit * | Target ** | Harvest | Remaining | Total Licenses | Total Vessels |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Open | 40 | 1,707,673 | 1,029,899 | 677,774 | 184 | 83 |
| 2E | Closed | 0 | 403,709 | 434,577 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2W | Closed | 0 | 69,603 | 74,871 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3-1 | Open | 50 | 37,011 | 34,445 | 2,566 | 12 | 9 |
| 3-2 | Open | 60 | 207,829 | 125,268 | 82,561 | 19 | 10 |
| 3-3 | Open | 50 | 11,618 | 2,435 | 9,183 | < 10 | < 5 |
| 3-4 | Open | 50 | 920 | 420 | 500 | < 10 | < 5 |
Total licenses that are currently inactive (stacked out): 3
* Some portions of Regions 2W and 3-2 have reduced per-license pot limits. Please reference both the most recent emergency regulation and WAC 220-340-470 for more details.
** The current commercial targets are based on recreational fishery catch estimates and projections and are subject to change as incoming CRC data is finalized. A variable management buffer is retained for each crab management region and will be released throughout the season pending harvest rates and final recreational estimates.
Region 1: MFSF 20A, 20B, 21A, 21B, 22A, 22B
Region 2E: MFSF 24A, 24B, 24C, 24D, 26AE
Region 2W: (25C not included), MFSF 25B, 25D, 26AW
Region 3-1: West Beach area - MFSF 23A and 23B
Region 3-2: MFSF 25A, 25E, 23D
Region 3-3: MFSF 23C-East
Region 3-4: MFSF 23C-West & 29
Download the current landings in excel format: Puget Sound Crab Landings
Download the current landings in PDF format: Puget Sound Crab Landings
