Washington · Strait & Sound
DUNGENESS CRAB FISHING
IN PORT ANGELES
Port Angeles 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 Port Angeles
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 — Port Angeles
Month-by-month availability for dungeness crab in Port Angeles, WA.
How to Catch Dungeness Crab in Port Angeles
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 Port Angeles
Top spots where local captains target dungeness crab and other inshore species.
Ediz Hook
Ediz Hook is a natural sand spit extending into the Strait of Juan de Fuca that creates Port Angeles Harbor, and its sandy shoreline and rocky base hold Chinook salmon, rockfish, surfperch, and flatfish. Shore anglers fish from the spit for accessible catches with views of the Olympic Mountains.
Port Angeles City Pier
The Port Angeles City Pier provides free pier-fishing over the harbor's deeper water where rockfish, perch, flatfish, and seasonal runs of pink and coho salmon pass through. The pier's downtown location makes it one of the most accessible fishing spots in the area.
Freshwater Bay
Freshwater Bay west of Port Angeles is a protected cove on the strait where Chinook salmon, coho salmon, and bottomfish hold in the bay's calmer waters. The bay's boat launch provides access to both the sheltered inshore waters and the open strait.
Dungeness Spit
Dungeness Spit is the longest natural sand spit in the United States, extending five miles into the Strait of Juan de Fuca east of Port Angeles. The spit's inner waters hold Dungeness crab, flatfish, and perch, while the outer shore provides surf-fishing for surfperch and salmon.
Other Species in Port Angeles
More fish you can target while visiting Port Angeles.
Dungeness Crab Fishing in Port Angeles — FAQ
The peak months for Dungeness Crab fishing in Port Angeles are July, August. During these months, Dungeness Crab are most active and abundant in the Port Angeles area.
Dungeness Crab fishing charters in Port Angeles 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 Port Angeles, 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 Port Angeles, you may also catch Rockfish, Chinook Salmon, Pacific Halibut, Coho Salmon, Lingcod. Many charter trips target multiple species for the best action.
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