Marine Zone
Regulation updates as of Sept. 28, 2018
These are in-season regulation changes adopted on a temporary or emergency basis. Please see e-regulations for permanent regulations.
ABALONE SUSPENDED
Effective March 16, 2018, the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission issued a three year closure for harvest of abalone in Oregon.
Harvest of scallops remains open, per the 2018 Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations. Permits are issued through Charleston, Newport and Astoria offices.
DUNGENESS CRAB
- The entire Oregon coast is now open for recreational crabbing.
- It is recommended that crab be eviscerated and the guts or butter discarded prior to cooking. When whole crab are cooked in liquid, domoic acid may leach into the cooking liquid and should be discarded.
- The consumption of crab viscera is not recommended.
RAZOR CLAMS
- The annual conservation closure for the Clatsop County beaches (from Columbia River south to Tillamook Head) has been extended through at least Oct. 31 due to small clam size.
- Open from Tillamook head south to the north jetty of the Umpqua River.
- Closed from the south jetty Umpqua River to the OR/CA border.
MUSSELS
The entire Oregon coast is now open for mussel harvest.
RAZOR CLAMS
Spring and summer harvesting can be quite successful. Unlike the fall and winter, low tides are in the morning which allows for better visibility. This along with better weather allows more accessibility to the razor clam harvest areas. Harvesters will still need to monitor storm events and subsequent large surf, greater than 10 feet, as both will reduce success.
Given the lower than average abundances of razor clams on popular beaches, harvesters will need to actively pound the sand for razor clams to show. Harvesters should plan to be on the harvest area at least two hours before low tide and focus on sections of the beach that show exposed sand bars as these areas could have more clams showing than other areas.
BAY CLAMS
Bay clamming is open along the entire Oregon Coast from the Columbia River to the California border. Check out the Where to Clam articles for places to find them.
Bay clamming is always good at low tide in Coos Bay.
Always call the ODA shellfish safety hotline at 1-800-448-2474 or ODA shellfish closures website before harvesting for the most current information about shellfish safety closures.
MUSSELS
The entire Oregon coast is open to mussel harvest.
CRAB
Oregon’s bays are experiencing a high volume of crabbers as we move into fall. Most bays report variable catch success. Crab are filling out their shells, providing good quality meat.
Crabbing in the Coos Bay estuary and lower Coquille estuary have been very good. Boat crabbers are doing well setting their pots near the jetties. Dock crabbers are picking up some legal Dungeness crabs on the docks in Charleston and at Weber’s Pier in Bandon.
Crabbing in the autumn and winter can be fun and rewarding.The next two to three months are often considered the best time of year for crabbing. Crab generally molt during the summer and as they grow into their shells over time, yield bigger crab filled with tasty meat.
In addition to Dungeness crab, another Oregon native present in some of Oregon’s estuaries is the Red Rock crab. Crabbers can retain 24 Red Rock crabs of any sex or size. This year, large numbers of non-native European green crab have also been reported from Oregon’s bays and estuaries. They can be identified by the three prominent bumps between the eyes and 5 spines down the side of the carapace. The daily catch limit for European green crab is 10 crab of any size or sex.
Bays, estuaries, beaches, tidepools, piers, and jetties are open all year for crabbing. Recreational ocean crabbing is closed October 16- November 30. Be sure to observe weather warnings and bar restrictions and use your best judgement for a safe and enjoyable experience.