Can I Keep?Tanner crab Regulations in Alaska (2026)
Chionoecetes bairdi
Recreational tanner crab rules in Alaska saltwater, as published by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Last checked November 7, 2026.
Limits differ by area — the summary below is the first published rule; see every rule underneath.
Size limit
5.5 in minimum
Bag limit
6 per person
Season
Fishing is open year-round for all species unless otherwise noted…
Can I keep it today? Check your harbor & date
Recreational Tanner crab rules in Alaska
- Where
- Kodiak Island, Alaska Peninsula & Aleutian Islands salt waters
- Size limit
- Males only: 6 per day, 6 in possession, 5½ inches or more (straight line distance across carapace, including spines).
- Bag limit
- Males only: 6 per day, 6 in possession, 5½ inches or more (straight line distance across carapace, including spines).
- Possession
- Males only: 6 per day, 6 in possession, 5½ inches or more (straight line distance across carapace, including spines).
- Season
- Fishing is open year-round for all species unless otherwise noted below or in special regulations.
- Where
- Southeast Alaska
- Size limit
- Tanner Crab: 5½ inches minimum size.
- Bag limit
- In combination: 3 males. Tanner Crab: 5½ inches minimum size.
- Season
- Fishing for shellfish is open year-round except: Tanner crab: June 16-June 30: Closed to sport and personal use fishing for Tanner crab, except in the Yakutat area (Cape Suckling to Cape Fairweather) where there is no closed season for Alaska residents under personal use regulations.
- Alaska residents can harvest shellfish under sport, personal use, or subsistence regulations and nonresidents must harvest shellfish under sport regulations.
- Possession Limit: For all shellfish species in Southeast Alaska, the possession limit equals one daily bag limit.
- Nonresidents Sport Shellfish Regulations
- Where
- Southcentral Alaska
- Size limit
- Tanner Crab Minimum size 4½ inches, Prince William Sound - minimum 5 inches
- Season
- TANNER CRAB Season: Oct. 1-Feb. 28 Season: Oct. 1-Mar. 31
- See permit for open areas, season, gear, and limits.
- PERMITS REQUIRED: A shellfish harvest permit is required and must be in your possession when taking shrimp in Prince William Sound and the North Gulf Coast areas, crab in Cook Inlet, North Gulf Coast, and Prince William Sound areas, and razor clams in Cook Inlet and North Gulf Coast areas.
- Where
- Northwestern Area
- Size limit
- C. Bairdi, 5½ inches or more. C. Opilio, 3⅛ inches or more.
- Bag limit
- • Northwestern Area Only: 12 per day, 12 in possession, in combination. • C. Bairdi, 5½ inches or more. • C. Opilio, 3⅛ inches or more.
- Possession
- Northwestern Area Only: 12 per day, 12 in possession, in combination.
- Males Only
Commercial rules
Show 6 commercial rules
- Where
- Southeast Alaska (Registration Area A) (ocean)
- Size limit
- (a) Unless otherwise provided in this chapter, male Tanner crab of the species Chionoecetes bairdi five and one-half inches or greater in width of shell may be taken or possessed.
- Season
- (a) Male Tanner crab may only be taken from 10:00 a.m. on the date following the largest Juneau tidal range between February 10 and February 17, as announced by emergency order, through May 1.
- Where
- Yakutat Area (Registration Area D) (ocean)
- Size limit
- (a) Unless otherwise provided in this chapter, male Tanner crab of the species Chionoecetes bairdi five and one-half inches or greater in width of shell may be taken or possessed.
- Season
- 5 AAC 35.170. Fishing season for Registration Area D. Male Tanner crab may be taken only from 12:00 noon January 15 through May 1.
- Where
- Prince William Sound (Registration Area E) (ocean)
- Size limit
- Only male Tanner crab five inches or greater in width of shell may be taken or possessed.
- Season
- (a) In Registration Area E, male Tanner crab may be taken only from January 15 until April 15, during periods established by emergency order.
- Where
- Cook Inlet (Registration Area H) (ocean)
- Size limit
- Only male Tanner crab four and one-half inches or greater in width of shell may be taken or possessed.
- Season
- (a) In the Southern District, male Tanner crab may be taken only during periods established by emergency order within the period of January 15 through March 31. The orders must be based on weather factors that affect crab mortality, such as forecasted win d speed and air temperature. (b) In all other districts, male Tanner crab may be taken only from 12:00 noon January 15 through March 31. (c) Notwithstanding (b) of this section, the commercial harvest of Tanner crab in the Outer, Eastern, and Central Districts is closed until the Tanner crab stocks have recovered and a harvest strategy for those districts is developed by the department and adopted in a regulation by the Board of Fisheries.
- Where
- Kodiak (Registration Area J) – Kodiak District (ocean)
- Size limit
- (a) Unless otherwise provided in this chapter, male Tanner crab of the species Chionoecetes bairdi five and one-half inches or greater in width of shell may be taken or possessed.
- Season
- (a) In the Kodiak District, (1) in the Northeast, Eastside, Southeast, Southwest, Westside, North Mainland, and South Mainland Sections, pots may be operated to take Tanner crab only from 8:00 a.m. to 5:59 p.m., with a soak time of 14 hours from 6:00 p.m. to 7:59 a.m., from 12:00 noon January 15 until 12:00 noon March 31;
- Where
- Bering Sea District (Registration Area J) (ocean)
- Size limit
- (b) In the Bering Sea District, Tanner crab size limits are as follows: (1) male C. bairdi Tanner crab, or hybrid Tanner crab conforming to the identification criteria described in 5 AAC 35.521(a), must be 4.8 inches or greater in width of shell, except that in the waters west of 166° W. long., male C. bairdi Tanner crab, or hybrid Tanner crab conforming to the identification criteria described in 5 AAC 35.521(a), must be 4.4 inches or greater in width of shell;
- Season
- (f) In the Bering Sea District, Tanner crab fishing seasons are as follows: (1) male C. bairdi Tanner crab may be taken from 12:00 noon October 15 until 11:59 p.m. March 31;
Quick answers
What is the tanner crab size limit in Alaska?
Males only: 6 per day, 6 in possession, 5½ inches or more (straight line distance across carapace, including spines). (for the first listed area; other areas may differ — see above).
How many tanner crab can I keep in Alaska?
Males only: 6 per day, 6 in possession, 5½ inches or more (straight line distance across carapace, including spines). (for the first listed area; other areas may differ — see above).
When is tanner crab season in Alaska?
Fishing is open year-round for all species unless otherwise noted below or in special regulations.. Whether it is open on a specific day can change by emergency rule — check today's status in the app.
More crabs, lobster & shrimp in Alaska
All Alaska saltwater fishing regulations →
Source: Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Most anglers need a Alaska saltwater license or registry: get one here.