Dungeness crab trap

• About Oregon crabbing / FAQs
• Where and when to crab
• How to crab by boat or from the dock
• Shellfishing regulations
• Crab identification
• Crab life history
• Crab behavior
• Crab research
• Crabbing reports
• Research results

Reports

ODFW creel monitoring for recreational crab harvest takes place in Columbia, Tillamook, Netarts, Yaquina, Alsea, and Coos Bay.

Crabbing in Oregon bays is really slow in February-April.  Bay crabbing success usually declines after significant rainfall as salinity levels drop. The best time to go bay crabbing is in the late summer-early fall.  This crabbing report will be updated at the beginning of every month.  Updates for Tillamook, Netarts and Coos bays will return next spring.

The unit of “Crabs per person" reflects the average number of legal size Dungeness crab caught for each recreational fisher for their crabbing trip, as reported by interview’s conducted by creel surveyors.

Publications

• Ainsworth, Justin & M. Vance. 2009. Recreational shellfish catch and effort surveys in Oregon estuaries (pdf). Newport, OR: Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. PERS Conference poster.

• Vance, Mitch & J. Ainsworth. 2009. Estuarine Crab Resource Monitoring and Assessment Project (pdf). Newport, OR: Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. PERS Conference poster.