Washington · Strait & Sound
DUNGENESS CRAB FISHING
IN ANACORTES
Anacortes is an excellent destination for dungeness crab fishing, with peak season in July, August and good catches in May, June, September. Book a charter and target dungeness crab with local experts.
About Dungeness Crab Fishing in Anacortes
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 — Anacortes
Month-by-month availability for dungeness crab in Anacortes, WA.
How to Catch Dungeness Crab in Anacortes
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 Anacortes
Top spots where local captains target dungeness crab and other inshore species.
Deception Pass
Deception Pass is a narrow strait between Whidbey and Fidalgo Islands where powerful tidal currents create some of the most dynamic fishing in Puget Sound. Chinook salmon, lingcod, and rockfish concentrate in the pass's turbulent water, and shore anglers fish from the bridge area and adjacent rocky shoreline.
Rosario Strait
Rosario Strait between Fidalgo Island and the San Juan Islands funnels tidal currents that attract Chinook salmon, lingcod, and rockfish to its deep channels and rocky points. Anacortes boats access the strait within minutes for productive salmon and bottomfish fishing.
Cap Sante Marina
Cap Sante Marina in downtown Anacortes provides dock-fishing access where perch, flatfish, and occasional salmon hold around the extensive marina structure. The marina's position on Fidalgo Bay offers sheltered fishing and easy access to the San Juan Islands.
March Point
March Point on Fidalgo Bay's eastern shore provides shore-fishing access where Chinook salmon, perch, and flatfish hold along the rocky and sandy shoreline. The point's position in Fidalgo Bay attracts migrating salmon that follow the shoreline.
Other Species in Anacortes
More fish you can target while visiting Anacortes.
Dungeness Crab Fishing in Anacortes — FAQ
The peak months for Dungeness Crab fishing in Anacortes are July, August. During these months, Dungeness Crab are most active and abundant in the Anacortes area.
Dungeness Crab fishing charters in Anacortes 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 Anacortes, your captain provides all required Washington fishing licenses as part of the trip.
Dungeness Crab regulations in Washington 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 Anacortes, you may also catch Rockfish, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Pacific Halibut, Lingcod. Many charter trips target multiple species for the best action.
Ready to Catch Dungeness Crab in Anacortes?
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