crabber holding up two nice Dungeness crab

Marine

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How-to and where-to catch crabs on Oregon’s coast

If you love Dungeness crab, you’ll love that you can harvest them yourself.

Make sure it’s safe to crab

Check the shellfish hotline – When there are high levels of domoic acid or other biotoxins in ocean waters, all or part of the Oregon coast may be closed to crab harvesting for public safety. Before leaving for a crabbing (or clamming) trip, always check the Oregon Health Authority website or call the OHA hotline at 1-800-448-2474 for any current closures.

Shellfish and biotoxins – Learn more about the effect of biotoxins on crab and crab harvesting.

Check ocean conditions – If you’re taking your boat out to crab in the ocean, be sure conditions are safe for a day on the water. Check the weather forecast, current ocean conditions and bar restrictions before you go.

Know what you’re after

Dungeness – This is the delicious crab that Oregon and its neighbors are known for. If you’re after Dungeness, you need to know:

If it’s a male or female – you can only keep males.

Female crab (top) have a wider, rounder abdomen; males (bottom) have a narrow abdomen. ODFW photo.
How big it measures – if it’s not at least 5 ¾ inches across the back, you’ll need to throw it back.

Sublegal crab — Measure the shell width just in front of the bottom spine (not tip to tip). This crab is too small and must be released. ODFW photo.

See how to determine the sex of and measure crab (video)

Red rock – You’re most likely to see this native crab while you’re throwing pots for Dungeness. Red rock crab can also be fine eating (if a little more difficult to clean). They are most common in Tillamook, Yaquina and Coos bays, because they prefer high salinity (saltier) water and rocky habitat like jetties.

a red rock crab — Red rock crab are native to Oregon and often show up in crab pots.

European green crab/five-spine crab -- This European native is not a welcome addition to our waters. It's invasive and often outcompetes our native crab species. You're encouraged to keep up to 35 of these small crabs. Though too small to crack for meat, they can make a yummy stock packed with umami flavors.

what to look for when identifying a green crab — To identify a green (aka five spine) crab, count the spines outside of each eye. There should be five.

Get your gear

Crab pots – You can have up to three different pots, traps or rings in the water at one time. Some large gear can be lowered over the side of a boat or pier. Smaller traps can be cast from shore or a pier using a stout fishing rod. Checkout the links under Learn to crab for a look at the different crab traps and pots available.

Mark your buoys when using crab pots, traps or rings in the ocean and bays.

young crabbing chucking a crab pot off a pier — Heavier crab pots can be chucked over the side of a boat or fishing pier. ODFW photo.

Bait – It seems that everyone has a favorite crab bait -- fish carcasses, shad, herring, clams -- and they all work. Raw chicken legs are a popular choice – they’re cheap, readily available and durable. Plus, if you don’t get crab, but have leftover bait, there’ll be chicken for dinner.

Crab measuring guide – This small, plastic device makes it easy to quickly measure for legal size. Find them at most boating and bait shops, and locations that sell fishing licenses.

Cooler – Don’t forget some ice. Keeping your crab on ice is preferred over putting them in sea water – crabs can use up the oxygen in the water and die before you get a chance to enjoy them.

Learn to crab

How to crab – This article and video will show you everything you need to know to crab from a dock or from a boat.

Crab casting – This 3 1/2 minute video demonstrates simple, easy techniques for crabbing from a pier or dock.

Where to crab

Where to crab in Oregon – Almost all bays, beaches and estuaries on the Oregon coast have some crab. This article links to maps of 11 popular crabbing areas.

When to crab

Crabbing can be a year-round opportunity in some of the larger Oregon bays, such as Tillamook, Yaquina and Coos bays.

Crabbing through the seasons – Here’s a look at how the crabbing opportunities change throughout the year. An old rule of thumb holds that crabbing is best in the months that end in the letter “r” – September, October, November and December.

Tide chart – Crabs are actively walking around and foraging (and are more likely to find your crab bait) during slack tide. The slack tide occurs as the tide shifts from ingoing to outgoing, or vice versa. During slack tide there is very little current, making it easier for crabs to move around.

Ocean closure – While crabbing in Oregon’s bays and estuaries is open year-round, the ocean off the Oregon coast is closed to crabbing from Oct. 16 to Nov. 30.

Fresh water influence – Crabs like salty water. Rain on shore can affect the number of crab in the bay, especially in smaller estuaries. As rain swells the rivers, the rivers dump more freshwater into the bays and estuaries. During these times, crab retreat to saltier waters farther off shore, until the fresh water is washed away.

Buy a license

Buy a shellfish license -- Everyone 12 years or older will need a shellfish license to clam or crab in Oregon. No other tags, permits, validations, etc. are required.

You can buy a license online or at an ODFW license vendor. If you’re buying your license online, you can print out a hard copy on your home computer, or download your license to your smart phone using the MyODFW app. Be sure to open the app before you head out of areas with cell service.

If you prefer to buy a license in-person, you can go to one of ODFW’s license vendors. This includes many Bi-Mart, Walmart and Fred Meyer stores as well as several small independent retailers.

Check the regulations

Check the regulations – Shellfish regulations are listed in the Marine Zone in the Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations. The daily bag limit for Dungeness crab is 12 (males only; 5 3/4 inches minimum size); the daily limit for red rock crab is 24 of any size or sex.

Please check the regulations for gear restrictions and other rules.

Clean your catch

Keep your crab on ice and out of water – If you’re taking live crab home with you, transport them in a cooler. Place ice on the bottom of the cooler, cover the ice with a damp cloth, and put your crab on top of the towel. The towel will keep the crab from sitting directly on the ice.

Replace the ice as needed, and be sure to pour off the water from melting ice. You can also keep the lid of the cooler cracked to allow oxygen in.

Crab will go dormant in the cold cooler and live up to 48 hours on ice.

How to clean a crab – This 3-minute video will show you how easy it is to clean a crab.

Share your adventure

Take a photo -- For those that can’t go crabbing with you, a photo is the next best thing. You also can submit your photos to ODFW for use on their website, in brochures and on signs, and your photo could be shared with thousands of your closest friends.

Post to ODFW social media – We love it when crabbers share their experiences (and not just their trophies) on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

Go crabbing!

By now you’ve probably already learned everything you can about crabbing from the internet. The best way to learn more is to get your pot wet and go crabbing. You’ll learn more on your first crabbing trip than anywhere else.

Still wanting to learn more about shellfishing, fishing or hunting in Oregon? We’ve got all kinds of articles and tip sheets for all kinds of activities. Just use the search button on MyODFW.com if you’re looking for something specific. If you’d rather browse to see what’s available, go to the articles page and use the filter feature to narrow your search.

Have fun and stay safe.

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