Oregon, Washington Advance Toward Dungeness Crab Decision as Test Results Roll In

West Coast crabbers and fishery managers are entering a decisive week for the 2025-26 Dungeness crab season, with a season-opening announcement scheduled for Friday, following the recent release of Washington test results. 

According to an industry notice from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, crab from Long Beach did not meet the Tri-State meat recovery threshold for a Dec. 1 opener.  

Crab from Westport did meet the criteria, with a 25% meat recovery result, but some crab is still soft...

Oregon Dungeness Crab is Ready for Harvest!

Oregon’s Dungeness crab fleet appears headed for an on-time start to the 2025–26 commercial season, with preseason testing showing strong meat recovery across all sampling areas. The only thing that could hold up an on-time season start for Dec. 1: Elevated domoic acid levels in one or more areas.  

According to coastwide test data, all Oregon areas exceeded the state’s minimum meat recovery criteria, according to results released by the Oregon Dungeness Crab Commission – an encouraging sign for harvesters and processors after several...

Oregon State Recognized With National Engagement Award for Efforts to Reduce Whale Entanglement

Oregon’s iconic Dungeness crab fishery and efforts to reduce whale entanglements may become known for the proactive, collaborative work led by Oregon State University researchers.  

The collective work and outreach by OSU was recently recognized as one of four regional winners of the 2025 W.K. Kellogg Foundation Community Engagement Scholarship Award. 

The Oregon whale entanglement project, a transdisciplinary team led by Dr. Leigh Torres, researcher in OSU’s Marine Mammal Institute and Oregon Sea Grant Extension marine mammals specialist...

Summer Crab Season Rules Take Effect in Washington

Summer months mean new fishing seasons, warmer weather and, in the case of Dungeness crabbing on the West Coast, new rules.   

As whales become more prevalent and crabs begin to molt, the states implement more restrictive gear rules, time constraints, landing limits or permitting requirements. In Washington, that means the Coastal Dungeness Crab Summer Fishery Management Plan takes effect as of 12:01 a.m. on July 6, through the end of this year’s season.  

According to the plan, crabbers cannot possess or land more than 2,500...

Last Areas in Washington Will Open for Dungeness Soon

As Dungeness crab seasons go, this one has seen progressive openings along the West Coast that has kept crab in the marketplace but also created a convoluted overlay of regulatory boundaries, especially in Washington.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife announced this week that the coastal Dungeness crab fishery will open from Klipsan Beach, Wash., to the US/Canada border, including Grays Harbor to state crabbers on February 11, 2025. Special Management Areas, ...

Washington Crab Season Opens as State Releases the Third Season Review Edition

The weather is cooperating and crabbers in northern Oregon and Washington have begun setting their gear for the anticipated Jan. 15 Dungeness season opener.

While most of Oregon opened in December and some parts of California opened earlier this month, northern California and the Washington/Oregon area around the Columbia River were both set to open Wednesday.

Dungeness crab supports Washington’s most valuable commercial fishery, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife said. The value of state landings for the ...

Washington Crab Season Delayed Until at Least January 15; Oregon Going Strong

The news Monday was not exactly a lump of coal, but an early Christmas “gift” many fishermen suspected would be coming: An extended delay into January for the start of the Washington/Northern Oregon crab season.

In an announcement Monday, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife said its crab managers met with other fishery managers from Oregon and California earlier in the day to determine the best option for an opening. However, the third round of testing showed crab from Long Beach, Wash., was only ...

Oregon Crabbers Get the Jump on West Coast Commercial Dungeness Season

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife managers announced Friday that the Dungeness crab season will open Dec. 16, from the California border in the south to Cape Falcon in the north.

“Pre-season testing in this area shows crab meat fill meets criteria and domoic acid is below the safety threshold,” ODFW said in a public notice.

However, Washington and California ocean commercial crab fisheries will remain closed.

The ocean season for Washington ...

CA, WA Dungeness Crab Fisheries on Hold For Now

Following Oregon’s announcement of a delay in the state’s Dungeness crab season, both California and Washington said that a combination of factors will delay the seasons in those states, too.

Late last week, California Department of Fish and Wildlife Director Charlton H. Bonham announced the delay of the primary commercial crab season for Mendocino, Humboldt and Del Norte counties – Fishing Zones 1 and 2 in Northern California. The season would normally open on Dec. 1.

“Crab quality tests could not be conducted in ...

Fishermen, Processors, Managers Prep for 2025-2026 Dungeness Crab Fishery Seasons on the West Coast 

When the Pacific Ocean turns stormy in the fall, the Dungeness crab season can’t be far behind. 

All three West Coast states are engaged in quality and biotoxin testing to prepare for commercial season openings in December, if possible. 

The Central California season has historically opened in mid-November, but the hope of that happening again may be a thing of the past, as that fishery hasn’t opened in mid-November for several of the past...

Oregon Recruiting for Seafood Commodity Commissions

Have a penchant for helping improve Oregon’s fisheries? Serving on a state seafood commodity commission may fulfill that desire. 

The Oregon Department of Agriculture is seeking applicants to fill positions on three commercial fisheries commissions. The deadline to apply is Aug. 15, 2025. 

The Director of the ODA appoints commissioners. Once selected, commissioners serve as public officials, typically serving three-year terms. Each year, commissioners develop and approve a budget using their commodity's assessments (and other funds that may be available) for projects including non-branded promotion, research and education. Commissioners...

Get Crackin’ with New Dungeness Crab License Plate

Whales, sharks, puffins and crabs, oh my!

Oregon license plates featuring sea creatures got a big boost recently with the addition of Dungeness crab, sharks and puffins to the available background choices. They join the gray whale, which came out roughly six years ago.

But Dungeness crab joining salmon demonstrates how it is both an iconic part of Oregon and a vital sport and commercial fishery.

The crab design features a bold, bright orange Oregon Dungeness crab against a light blue sea background, inspired by the Oregon Dungeness Crab Commission logo...

Crabbers Keep Grinding on Dungeness Season as Weather Stays Mostly Clear

While stormy weather affected Dungeness crab quality and biotoxin testing in December on the U.S. West Coast, January’s seas have enabled more fishermen to get out on the water.

Oregon’s season south of Cape Falcon, which opened in mid-December, has wound down in some areas, especially those south of Newport, with a few fishermen reporting a significant drop in the number of crab per pot.

Meanwhile, crabbers north of Cape Falcon in Oregon and southern Washington have been fishing for less than two full weeks...

Washington Hits the Magic Number to Open Dungeness Fishery

At long last, the Dungeness crab off Long Beach in Washington tested full enough to open the fishery north of Cape Falcon.

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife announced Tuesday that Oregon's commercial Dungeness crab fishery will open Jan. 15 from Cape Falcon, on the northern Oregon Coast, to Klipsan Beach, Washington. A fourth round of preseason testing in Long Beach, Wash., shows crab quality at 24.3%, which is above the 23% necessary to open the season. In other words, it meets the optimal commercial harvest ...

Oregon Crabbers Start Delivering Dungeness to Processors

This year’s Dungeness crab season is already one for the record books, even though the season opened only two days ago. The opening ex-vessel price, according to fishermen, is higher than last year’s average price.

According to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, last year’s average price was $3.79 per pound. Fishermen said an agreement reached with at least one of the processors was $4.50 per pound.

Last year’s season was the second-highest on record for Oregon in terms of value, at $93.6 million...

Signs Point to December Dungeness Season for Parts of West Coast

It’s almost time to start crackin’! Recent testing shows crab in Oregon are ready to harvest and domoic acid levels are all well below the safety threshold for starting the season.

Oregon crabbers talked with Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife fishery managers Thursday and said afterward that most everyone agreed to a Dec. 16 opening between the California border and Cape Falcon on the North Coast.

Crab from Long Beach, Washington, have not fully filled out with meat yet, according to recent tests. At 19.9%, the ,,,

Domoic Acid, Meat Recovery Delays Oregon Crab Season

As if some seriously stormy ocean weather wasn't enough, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife announced Wednesday a delay in the primary commercial Dungeness crab season off Oregon until at least Dec. 16.

Pre-season testing showed Dungeness crabs are too low in meat yield in some ocean areas and have elevated domoic acid levels in crab viscera in two areas on the South Coast.

Viscera from two crab in Area K, Cape Blanco to Gold Beach, landed on Nov. 16, showed levels of 38 and 39 parts ...