This is the most searched fishing season question in the country, and it has the least satisfying answer: in Puget Sound there is no date until WDFW publishes one, usually in June for the summer and September for the winter, and it is different for every marine area.
The dates
Open today by the rules below, worked out for 2026 rather than copied from a chart.
Puget Sound (Marine Areas 4 east through 13)
No date to look up. Summer dates are announced around June and winter dates around September.
Two short seasons, not one: a summer opening in July and August and a winter opening roughly October to December where quota is left. Several areas have been closed outright to let Dungeness recover, and some open only a few days a week. Every crabber needs a Puget Sound crab endorsement on their licence and a catch record card, whatever their age.
- Size
- Male Dungeness only, 6¼" across the back; red rock crab of either sex at 5".
- Limit
- Set with the season each year, by marine area.
Coastal waters (Marine Areas 1 to 3, and 4 west of the Bonilla-Tatoosh line)
Open all year, with pot gear closed from September to November to keep soft-shelled crabs from dying in the pots. The contrast with Puget Sound is the single most useful thing to know about crabbing this state.
- Size
- Male Dungeness 6¼" across the back.
- Limit
- Standard coastal recreational limits; no catch record card required.
Read on 2026-09-14 from Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Legal dates were read on the agency’s own page on the date shown beside each entry. Seasons change: the agency link is always the last word.
Why Washington is different
Washington is really two crab fisheries wearing one name. On the coast, Dungeness crabbing is open all year and you do not even need a catch record card. In Puget Sound the same animal is managed by quota, area by area, with some areas shut entirely while the population recovers and others open only a few days a week. A page that gives you one Washington crab date is describing a state that does not exist.
What to actually do
What this means in practice: check the marine area, not the state. If you are driving to the coast you can go this weekend; if you are launching in south Puget Sound you may find the area closed until further notice. Everyone in the Sound needs a Puget Sound crab endorsement on their licence and a catch record card, at any age, and the card has to be reported even if you catch nothing.
Where to fish it
We publish a daily report for 24 Washington waters, each with live flow or tide.
- Banks Lake — Grant County
- Cowlitz River — Cowlitz County
- Yakima River — Benton County
- Westport — Grays Harbor County
- Drano Lake — Skamania County
- Grande Ronde River — Asotin County
- Skagit River — Skagit County
- Rufus Woods Lake — Douglas County
An open season is not permission to fish: Washington requires a licence from age 16, from $39.95 for residents. What it costs and where to buy it →
Questions
When does crab season open in Washington?
There is no fixed date. WDFW sets Puget Sound openings each year by marine area, announcing summer dates around June and winter dates around September. The coast is open year-round, with a pot closure from September to November to protect soft-shelled crabs.
Do I need a permit to crab in Puget Sound?
Yes, and it catches people out: every crabber in the Puget Sound management area needs a Puget Sound crab endorsement on their fishing licence and a catch record card regardless of age. The coast does not require a catch record card.
Checked by Pablo Ruiz Quintero. Dates move: tell us if this one has and the correction goes in the verification log with the date.