Season opener from south Willapa Bay to U.S./Canadian border for commercial Dungeness crab starts on Feb. 11, including Grays Harbor.
73-hour presoak begins (setting gear): 8 a.m. on Feb. 8
Hold Inspections: begin at 12 p.m. on Feb. 10
Start date (pulling gear): 9: a.m. Feb. 11
Pot limits in place south of Klipsan Beach, will be removed at 8 a.m. Feb. 8
The season opening between Point Chehalis and the US/Canadian border was made based on the terms of harvest management plans and in coordination with tribal co-managers.
The State-Quinault Harvest Management Plan for the 2024-2025 season uses a sliding scale based on landings during the first 31 days of the Quinault fishery to determine the head-start for the Quinault fleet.
In accordance with this agreement, co-managers agreed to a 49-day delay of the state fishery in the area between Point Chehalis and Destruction Island, including Grays Harbor, resulting in the opener on Feb. 11.
The season opening north of Destruction Island was made in accordance with the State-Quileute Harvest Management Plan. The opening north of Destruction Island is based on a provision in the State-Quileute Plan that ensures there are 20 fishable days for Quileute fishers between Dec. 1 and Jan. 15, prior to opening the state season north of Destruction Island.
WDFW and Quileute managers agreed that the fishable day criteria have been satisfied. To facilitate the operation of an orderly fishery, WDFW managers have made the decision to align the opening north of Destruction Island with the north of Klipsan opener on Feb. 11.
All vessels participating in the coastal Dungeness crab fishery must have a qualifying electronic monitoring (EM) system installed, activated, and transmitting data to Pacific States Marine Fishery Commission (PSMFC) prior to setting gear on Feb. 8.