Oregon · Northern Oregon Coast
DUNGENESS CRAB FISHING
IN LINCOLN CITY
Lincoln City is an excellent destination for dungeness crab fishing, with peak season in January, December and good catches in February, March. Book a charter and target dungeness crab with local experts.
About Dungeness Crab Fishing in Lincoln City
The Dungeness crab is the signature crustacean of the Pacific Northwest, found in bays and estuaries from Central California to Alaska. Named after Dungeness, Washington, these sweet-flavored crabs are the backbone of the West Coast crab fishery and are caught recreationally using ring nets and crab pots from shore and boat.
Dungeness Crab are the signature crustacean of the Pacific Northwest, named after the small fishing village of Dungeness on Washington's Olympic Peninsula. These sweet-flavored crabs are found in sandy bays, estuaries, and nearshore waters from Central California to Alaska, where they are caught commercially and recreationally in enormous numbers. Dungeness have a wide, fan-shaped carapace that is purplish-brown on top and cream-yellow underneath. They are considered the finest-eating crab species in North America, with sweet, tender white meat that requires minimal seasoning.
Scientific name: Metacarcinus magister
Dungeness Crab Seasonal Calendar — Lincoln City
Month-by-month availability for dungeness crab in Lincoln City, OR.
How to Catch Dungeness Crab in Lincoln City
Techniques & Bait
Recreational crabbing with ring nets or collapsible crab pots baited with chicken, fish carcasses, or turkey legs is the most popular method. Deploy pots in sandy bays, eelgrass beds, and channels in 10-60 feet of water. Check pots every 20-30 minutes for ring nets or every few hours for enclosed pots. Pier and dock crabbing with hoop nets is accessible from shore in many bays. Some anglers catch Dungeness by hand while snorkeling or wading at low tide. Kayak crabbing is growing in popularity.
Recommended Tackle
Crab ring nets, hoop nets, or collapsible crab pots with proper state tags. Heavy line (80-200 lb) for retrieving pots from depth. Crab gauge for measuring legal-size crabs (minimum 5.75-6.25 inches across the carapace depending on state). Bait: chicken legs, fish carcasses, clams. Rubber bands for handling — Dungeness have powerful pinching claws.
Best Inshore Fishing Spots in Lincoln City
Top spots where local captains target dungeness crab and other inshore species.
Siletz Bay
Siletz Bay is a small but productive estuary at Lincoln City where Chinook salmon, coho salmon, steelhead, and Dungeness crab hold in the tidal channels and flats. The bay's crabbing is outstanding during open season, and salmon stage in the deeper channels before ascending the Siletz River.
Taft Waterfront
The Taft waterfront area in southern Lincoln City provides shore-based access to Siletz Bay where perch, flounder, and crab are caught from the public docks and riprap shoreline. The bay's shallow channels warm in summer, attracting schools of perch and smelt.
D River Mouth
The D River, one of the world's shortest rivers, flows from Devils Lake into the Pacific at Lincoln City, and its outflow attracts surfperch and smelt to the beach. Seasonal smelt runs draw dip-netters to the area, while surfperch fishing is productive year-round on the adjacent beach.
Roads End Beach
Roads End Beach at Lincoln City's northern tip features rocky headlands and tide pools where surfperch, greenling, and cabezon hold along the rocky shoreline. The beach's position provides accessible shore-fishing in a scenic coastal setting.
Other Species in Lincoln City
More fish you can target while visiting Lincoln City.
Dungeness Crab Fishing in Lincoln City — FAQ
The peak months for Dungeness Crab fishing in Lincoln City are January, December. During these months, Dungeness Crab are most active and abundant in the Lincoln City area.
Dungeness Crab fishing charters in Lincoln City are typically inshore trips. Prices vary by trip duration and group size. Most charters include all gear, bait, licenses, and fish cleaning.
Recreational crabbing with ring nets or collapsible crab pots baited with chicken, fish carcasses, or turkey legs is the most popular method. Deploy pots in sandy bays, eelgrass beds, and channels in 10-60 feet of water. Check pots every 20-30 minutes for ring nets or every few hours for enclosed pots. Pier and dock crabbing with hoop nets is accessible from shore in many bays. Some anglers catch Dungeness by hand while snorkeling or wading at low tide. Kayak crabbing is growing in popularity.
No — when you book a charter in Lincoln City, your captain provides all required Oregon fishing licenses as part of the trip.
Dungeness Crab regulations in Oregon include minimum size limits and bag limits that vary by season. Your captain will know the current regulations and ensure compliance.
While targeting Dungeness Crab in Lincoln City, you may also catch Rockfish, Lingcod, Chinook Salmon, Pacific Halibut, Coho Salmon. Many charter trips target multiple species for the best action.
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