Experience the Fun of Puget Sound Crabbing Season This Winter

Calling all crabbers! If you’re looking to stuff your freezer full of crab meat this winter, it’s time to start planning your trip to Washington State. Let this be your ultimate guide to winter crabbing in Puget Sound as well as some of the best places to stay during your adventure.

While winter might turn some people off to the idea of long days on the water, this is actually the ideal time of year to pull in a massive haul of the best crabs in the Sound. Crabs spend the fall season packing on meat and spawning, so winter provides the largest and most plentiful crab populations. And as an added bonus, it’s likely to be a lot less busy than the summer crabbing season!

What is Puget Sound Crab Season?

Puget sound crabbing is a coveted local tradition, but visitors from all over the world join in on the fun as well. And as a relatively straight forward endeavor, anyone can participate. You don’t need any expensive gear or fancy boats to pull up a full crab pot in Puget Sound. All you need is a crab pot or two, and a vessel as simple as a kayak or even a paddle board.

While it can be as simple as dropping a pot and waiting, there are some important factors that may impact your success. For example, crabs are much easier to catch when the tides are calm. Also, crab populations in the sound follow a cyclical pattern, meaning some years you may pull up full pot after full pot without much effort, and other years you may struggle to hit the daily limit. This is why it’s important to do your research and be fully prepared before setting out on your winter crabbing adventure.

How to Prepare for Crab Season in the Puget Sound

Check the season dates and regulations

Crab populations in Puget Sound have fluctuated a lot in recent years which may impact the crabbing season dates. Generally, winter crab season takes place between October 1st and December 31st, but it’s always a good idea to check the official Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) web portal to be sure you understand the parameters for the year.

Secure your license

It’s important to be sure that you have the proper licenses when crab fishing in Puget Sound. You can obtain a license through the WDFW website, or you can get one at the hundreds of local license dealers near the sound. And if you’re planning to catch Dungeness crabs, you’ll need to get a catch record card and a Puget Sound Dungeness crab endorsement in addition to the regular Washington State shellfish license.

Check the tides

The tides can heavily impact your crabbing success in Puget Sound. Every day, the sound experiences two high tides and two low tides, and some days the sea level can fluctuate over 10 feet between a high and a low tide period. These more volatile days may impact the size of your haul, so you’ll want to look for days where the difference between high and low tide is relatively small. Tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov provides an interactive platform that can help you visualize the tides and pick the right time to get out on the water.

Learn to identify and measure the crabs

You can find a few different crab species in Puget Sound including Dungeness, Red Rock, and Tanner crabs, and it’s important to know which ones you can keep and which you’re required to throw back.

All soft-shell, female, and undersized male Dungeness crabs cannot be kept and must be gently placed back into the water. The WDFW recommends using an official caliper designed for measuring male Dungeness crabs, which can be purchased at most local sporting goods stores. To avoid possession of an undersized crab and a potential fine, check out this WDFW document that explains how to accurately identify and measure male Dungeness crabs. It is also illegal to keep only the claws of any crab species.

Get the gear you need

The gear you’ll need to go crabbing on the Sound is minimal. You don’t even need a boat if you choose to drop your pots off of the piers, but there is a short list of essentials:

• Crab pots or rings

• Line

• Bait

• Buoy

• Measurement caliper

Plan your Stay

Get the most out of your Puget Sound vacation and book at one of these nearby RV parks, all within a short drive of the sound.

Glen Ayr Resort
This resort offers campers access to over 700 feet of private beach with boat moorage available. And with a variety of ways to stay including full hookup RV sites as well as waterfront motel rooms, you’re in for a comfortable and beautiful stay overlooking Hood Canal. 

Elwha Dam RV Park
This park is located inside a mature evergreen forest adjacent to the Olympic National Forest and the Elwha River gorge. It's a peaceful setting in the woods, convenient for fishing, crabbing, and beachcombing on the North Olympic Coast. Elwha Dam RV Park offers a variety of RV sites as well as glamping experiences and cozy cabin rentals, well-equipped for a winter stay.

Misty Willow’s Farm and Camp
Misty Willow’s is located in the heart of the Olympic Rainforest with a layout that reflects the tranquil settings of the area. Each one of their sites was carefully planned out with peace and privacy in mind. This park offers back-in, no hookup RV sites, primitive tent camping, and onsite camper trailers for rent, making it the perfect low-maintenance getaway in a stunning natural location.

Tips for a Successful Catch

How long to soak pots/rings

Recommended soaking times can vary from 15 minutes to overnight, depending on the methods and gear you use. When using traditional crab pots, the general rule is to leave it for at least one hour. You can leave pots to soak overnight and increase the odds of a larger catch, but be sure to leave plenty of bait, as crabs will only stay as long as there is bait to feed on.

If you’re using a crab ring that sits on the sea floor, you only need to wait for a crab to enter and take the bait, so a 15-45 minute soak is usually plenty of time.

What bait to use

There are several options for bait when crabbing in Puget Sound. Many people see success using fish carcasses, particularly albacore tuna and salmon. Razor clams are a popular option commonly used by commercial crab fishermen. You can also use chicken or turkey parts for a more accessible bait, and many outdoor stores sell liquid attractants that can be added to any bait to really attract the crabs to your pots.

How much line to bring

You’ll want to research the approximate depth of the areas you’re planning to fish, and let that dictate the amount of line you bring. To be safe, it’s recommended to have at least 20 extra feet of line, as the tides can rise as much as 10’ in a day. So if you’re fishing an area that’s 50’ deep, bring at least 70’ of line.

What kind of line to use

Anyone who’s been crabbing will likely tell you to never bring floating line, and they’re exactly right. Floating lines often get caught up in boat propellers and leave crab pots stuck at the bottom of the sound, so you’ll be much better off with a weighted line.

Best Spots to Crab in Puget Sound

Puget Sound is a massive body of water with over 1,300 miles of shoreline, so there are several areas to explore. From the shallow eelgrass beds to deeper waters up to 100’, here’s a list of all of the Puget Sound marine areas that are open to crab fishers.

Marine Area 4

• Neah Bay

Marine Area 6

• East Strait of Juan de Fuca

• Port Angeles Harbor

• Discovery Bay

Marine Area 7

• South - San Juan Islands/Bellingham

• North - Gulf of Georgia

Marine Area 8

• Port Susan/Everett

• Deception pass

Marine Area 9

• Admiralty Inlet

• Port Gamble/Port Ludlow

Marine Area 10

• Seattle/Bremerton

Marine Area 11

• Tacoma/Vashon Island

Marine Area 12

• Hood Canal

Marine Area 13

• South Puget Sound

Cooking Your Catch

As a general rule, you want to keep the crabs you catch alive until it’s time to cook them. This is easily accomplished by bringing along a cooler full of ice and seawater. After you pull up the crabs, you can place them right into the cooler and regularly recirculate the seawater to keep it properly oxygenated until you’re ready to cook.

The best part about Dungeness crab is that the cooking process requires very little preparation and can be done right at camp! All you need to do is bring a large pot of water to a boil, place the live crabs into the pot, cover it and let them cook for about 12 minutes. After removing the crabs from the pot, let them cool for about 15-30 minutes and then crack into them and enjoy! This simple and straightforward recipe is tried and true and guarantees a perfectly done crab every time.

Ready to plan your winter crabbing excursion? From the catch to the dinner table, our guide has you covered. And let us make the planning process a little easier with our convenient and interactive RV campsite finder and booking platform, where you can find the best accommodation options for your next adventure.