Marine Zone

Where to crab in Oregon

Love the taste of crab and want to try harvesting your own? Already at the beach and looking for a family-friendly activity?
Here are some areas‌ to find your favorite seafood and have a fun day on the coast.

In every Oregon estuary, some crab can be found. Tillamook, Yaquina and Coos‌ normally provide the best year-round opportunities. Smaller estuaries and those with more freshwater influence may be good during the late summer through the early winter.

Before heading out, be sure to have your shellfish license, a copy of the regulations (either paper or online), and check the tides.

For your safety, call the Oregon Department of Agriculture Shellfish Safety Hotline before harvesting any shellfish at 1-800-448-2474 or check their website.

Go to our How to crab article to learn about different crabbing equipment and techniques.

An image of the Oregon coast showing locations to go bay crabbing

Species availability by area

Columbia River: Dungeness
Necanicum: Dungeness
Nehalem Bay: Dungeness
Tillamook: Dungeness, red rock
Netarts Bay: Dungeness, red rock
Nestucca Bay: Dungeness
Siletz Bay: Dungeness
Yaquina Bay: Dungeness, red rock
Alsea Bay: Dungeness
Siuslaw River: Dungeness
Umpqua River: Dungeness
Coos Bay: Dungeness, red rock
Coquille River: Dungeness
Port Orford: Dock crabbing can be found year round from the Port docks. Ocean (boat) crabbing areas are easily accessible.
Gold Beach (Rogue River) and Brookings (Chetco River): Crabbing in these estuaries may only be successful in the driest parts of the summer when the freshwater influence is minimal. Ocean (boat) crabbing areas are easily accessible.