Can I Keep?Red Rock crab Regulations in Washington (2026)
Recreational red rock crab rules in Washington saltwater, as published by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Last checked November 7, 2026.
Limits differ by area — the summary below is the first published rule; see every rule underneath.
Size limit
Min. size 5"
Bag limit
Six crab of either sex
Season
Crab Pots: Open 1 Dec. through 15 Sept. Crab gear other than pots…
Can I keep it today? Check your harbor & date
Recreational Red Rock crab rules in Washington
- Where
- Marine Area 1 - Ilwaco (South Coast/Pacific Ocean) (all waters)
- Size limit
- Min. size 5"
- Bag limit
- Six crab of either sex
- Season
- Crab Pots: Open 1 Dec. through 15 Sept. Crab gear other than pots: Open all year.
- Dungeness and Red Rock Crab, all fishing methods.
- Days open: Everyday
- Crab pots: Open Dec. 1 through Sept. 15 Crab gear other than pots: Open year-round
- Must retain back shell while in the field. Must release all soft-shell crab.
- Allocation and soft shell closures may affect season, please check this page or the shellfish rule change hotline.
- Fishing instruments must not penetrate the shell.
- Where
- Marine Area 1 - Ilwaco (Columbia River) (all waters)
- Size limit
- Min. size 5"
- Bag limit
- Six crab of either sex
- Season
- Crab Pots: Open all year. Crab gear other than pots: Open all year.
- Dungeness and Red Rock Crab, all fishing methods.
- Days open: Everyday
- Year-round
- Must retain back shell while in the field. Must release all soft-shell crab.
- A resident license of either Oregon or Washington is required.
- Crab fishers may fish for crab in Oregon waters under Oregon rules and land into Washington ports of the Columbia River.
- Fishing instruments must not penetrate the shell.
- Where
- Marine Area 2 - Westport-Ocean Shores (Westport/Ocean Shores) (all waters)
- Size limit
- Min. size 5"
- Bag limit
- Six crab of either sex
- Season
- Crab Pots: Open 1 Dec. through 15 Sept. Crab gear other than pots: Open all year.
- Dungeness and Red Rock Crab, all fishing methods.
- Days open: Everyday
- Crab pots: Open Dec. 1 through Sept. 15 Crab gear other than pots: Open year-round
- Must retain back shell while in the field. Must release all soft-shell crab.
- Allocation and soft shell closures may affect season, please check this page or the shellfish rule change hotline.
- Fishing instruments must not penetrate the shell.
- Where
- Marine Area 2 - Westport-Ocean Shores (Willapa Bay - Area 2-1) (all waters)
- Size limit
- Min. size 5"
- Bag limit
- Six crab of either sex
- Season
- Crab Pots: Open 15 Nov. through 15 Sept. Crab gear other than pots: Open all year.
- Dungeness and Red Rock Crab, all fishing methods.
- Days open: Everyday
- Crab pots: Open Nov. 15 through Sept. 15 Crab gear other than pots: Open year-round
- Must retain back shell while in the field. Must release all soft-shell crab.
- Allocation and soft shell closures may affect season, please check this page or the shellfish rule change hotline.
- Fishing instruments must not penetrate the shell.
- Where
- Marine Area 2 - Westport-Ocean Shores (Grays Harbor - Area 2-2) (all waters)
- Size limit
- Min. size 5"
- Bag limit
- Six crab of either sex
- Season
- Crab Pots: Open 1 Dec. through 15 Sept. Crab gear other than pots: Open all year.
- Dungeness and Red Rock Crab, all fishing methods.
- Days open: Everyday
- Crab pots: Open Dec. 1 through Sept. 15 Crab gear other than pots: Open year-round
- Must retain back shell while in the field. Must release all soft-shell crab.
- Allocation and soft shell closures may affect season, please check this page or the shellfish rule change hotline.
- Fishing instruments must not penetrate the shell.
- Where
- Marine Area 3 - La Push (LaPush) (all waters)
- Size limit
- Min. size 5"
- Bag limit
- Six crab of either sex
- Season
- Crab Pots: Open 1 Dec. through 15 Sept. Crab gear other than pots: Open all year.
- Dungeness and Red Rock Crab, all fishing methods.
- Days open: Everyday
- Crab pots: Open Dec. 1 through Sept. 15 Crab gear other than pots: Open year-round
- Must retain back shell while in the field. Must release all softshell crab.
- Where
- Marine Area 4 - Neah Bay (Neah Bay - East of Tatoosh-Bonilla line) (all waters)
- Size limit
- Min. size 5"
- Bag limit
- Six crab of either sex
- Season
- Open daily from October 1 through December 31.
- Dungeness, Red Rock, and Tanner Crab, all fishing methods.
- Days open: Everyday
- Must retain back shell while in the field. Must release all soft-shell crab.
- Where
- Marine Area 4 - Neah Bay (Neah Bay - West of Tatoosh-Bonilla line) (all waters)
- Size limit
- Min. size 5"
- Bag limit
- Six crab of either sex
- Season
- Crab Pots: Open 1 Dec. through 15 Sept. Crab gear other than pots: Open all year.
- Dungeness and Red Rock Crab, all fishing methods.
- Days open: Everyday
- Crab pots: Open Dec. 1 through Sept. 15 Crab gear other than pots: Open year-round
- Must retain back shell while in the field. Must release all soft-shell crab.
- Where
- Marine Area 5 - Sekiu and Pillar Point (all waters)
- Size limit
- Min. size 5"
- Bag limit
- Six crab of either sex
- Season
- Open daily from October 1 through December 31.
- Dungeness, Red Rock, and Tanner Crab, all fishing methods.
- Days open: Everyday
- Must retain back shell while in the field. Must release all soft-shell crab.
- Where
- Marine Area 6 - East Juan de Fuca Strait (East Juan de Fuca Strait, Port Angeles Harbor, Discovery Bay) (all waters)
- Size limit
- Min. size 5"
- Bag limit
- Six crab of either sex
- Season
- Open daily from October 1 through December 31.
- Dungeness, Red Rock, and Tanner Crab, all fishing methods.
- Days open: Everyday
- Must retain back shell while in the field. Must release all soft-shell crab.
- Where
- Marine Area 7 - San Juan Islands (South - San Juan Islands/Bellingham) (all waters)
- Size limit
- Min. size 5"
- Bag limit
- Six crab of either sex
- Season
- Open daily from October 1 through December 31.
- Dungeness, Red Rock, Tanner Crab, all fishing methods.
- Days open: Everyday
- Must retain back shell while in the field. Must release all soft-shell crab.
- Where
- Marine Area 7 - San Juan Islands (North - Gulf of Georgia) (all waters)
- Size limit
- Min. size 5"
- Bag limit
- Six crab of either sex
- Season
- Open daily from October 1 through December 31.
- Dungeness, Red Rock, and Tanner Crab, all fishing methods.
- Days open: Everyday
- Must retain back shell while in the field. Must release all soft-shell crab.
- Where
- Marine Area 8-1 - Deception Pass, Hope Island, and Skagit Bay (Deception Pass - Area 8-1) (all waters)
- Size limit
- Min. size 5"
- Bag limit
- Six crab of either sex
- Season
- Open daily from October 10 through December 31.
- Dungeness, Red Rock, and Tanner Crab, all fishing methods.
- Days open: Everyday
- Must retain back shell while in the field. Must release all soft-shell crab.
- Where
- Marine Area 8-2 - Ports Susan and Gardner (Port Susan/Everett - Area 8-2) (all waters)
- Size limit
- Min. size 5"
- Bag limit
- Six crab of either sex
- Season
- Open daily from October 10 through December 31.
- Dungeness, Red Rock, and Tanner Crab, all fishing methods.
- Days open: Everyday
- Must retain back shell while in the field. Must release all soft-shell crab.
- Where
- Marine Area 9 - Admiralty Inlet (all waters)
- Size limit
- Min. size 5"
- Bag limit
- Six crab of either sex
- Season
- Open daily from October 1 through December 31.
- Dungeness, Red Rock, and Tanner Crab, all fishing methods.
- Days open: Everyday
- The portion of Marine Area 9 EXCLUDING waters north of the Hood Canal bridge to a line connecting Olele Point and Foulweather Bluff. Open daily from October 1 through December 31.
- Must retain back shell while in the field. Must release all soft-shell crab.
- Where
- Marine Area 9 - Admiralty Inlet (Port Gamble/Port Ludlow) (all waters)
- Size limit
- Min. size 5"
- Bag limit
- Six crab of either sex
- Season
- Open daily from October 1 through December 31.
- Dungeness, Red Rock, and Tanner Crab, all fishing methods.
- Days open: Everyday
- The portion of Marine Area 9 north of the Hood Canal bridge to a line connecting Olele Point and Foulweather Bluff. Open daily from October 1 through December 31.
- Must retain back shell while in the field. Must release all soft-shell crab.
- Where
- Marine Area 10 - Seattle-Bremerton Area (Seattle/Bremerton) (all waters)
- Size limit
- Min. size 5"
- Bag limit
- Six crab of either sex
- Season
- WINTER season has not been announced and may remain closed pending final summer catch estimates.
- Dungeness, Red Rock, and Tanner Crab, all fishing methods.
- Days open: None
- Must retain back shell while in the field. Must release all soft-shell crab.
- Where
- Marine Area 11 - Tacoma-Vashon Island (all waters)
- Size limit
- Min. size 5"
- Bag limit
- Six crab of either sex
- Season
- WINTER season has not been announced and may remain closed pending final summer catch estimates.
- Dungeness, Red Rock, and Tanner Crab, all fishing methods.
- Days open: None
- Must retain back shell while in the field. Must release all soft-shell crab.
- Where
- Marine Area 12 - Hood Canal (Hood Canal - North of Ayock Point) (all waters)
- Size limit
- Min. size 5"
- Bag limit
- Six crab of either sex
- Season
- Open daily from October 1 through December 31.
- Dungeness, Red Rock, and Tanner Crab, all fishing methods.
- Days open: Everyday
- Must retain back shell while in the field. Must release all soft-shell crab.
- Where
- Marine Area 12 - Hood Canal (Hood Canal - South of Ayock Point) (all waters)
- Size limit
- Min. size 5"
- Bag limit
- Six crab of either sex
- Season
- Closed until further notice.
- Dungeness, Red Rock, and Tanner Crab, all fishing methods.
- Days open: None
- Must retain back shell while in the field. Must release all soft-shell crab.
- Where
- Marine Area 13 - South Puget Sound (all waters)
- Size limit
- Min. size 5"
- Bag limit
- Six crab of either sex
- Season
- Closed until further notice to promote recovery of Dungeness crab.
- Dungeness, Red Rock, and Tanner Crab, all fishing methods.
- Days open: None
- Closed until further notice.
- Must retain back shell while in the field. Must release all soft-shell crab.
Quick answers
What is the red rock crab size limit in Washington?
Min. size 5" (for the first listed area; other areas may differ — see above).
How many red rock crab can I keep in Washington?
Six crab of either sex (for the first listed area; other areas may differ — see above).
When is red rock crab season in Washington?
Crab Pots: Open 1 Dec. through 15 Sept. Crab gear other than pots: Open all year.. 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 Washington
All Washington saltwater fishing regulations →
Source: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Most anglers need a Washington saltwater license or registry: get one here.