Washington · Strait & Sound
DUNGENESS CRAB FISHING
IN PORT TOWNSEND
Port Townsend 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 Townsend
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 Townsend
Month-by-month availability for dungeness crab in Port Townsend, WA.
How to Catch Dungeness Crab in Port Townsend
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 Townsend
Top spots where local captains target dungeness crab and other inshore species.
Point Wilson
Point Wilson at the entrance to Admiralty Inlet is one of the most productive shore-fishing spots in Washington, where powerful tidal currents concentrate Chinook salmon, coho salmon, and pink salmon along the sandy point. Casting buzz bombs and spoons from the lighthouse beach is a time-honored Puget Sound salmon fishing tradition.
Port Townsend Bay
Port Townsend Bay provides sheltered inshore fishing where Chinook salmon, coho salmon, and bottomfish hold in the bay's deeper channels and around the marina structure. The bay's calm waters and easy access make it ideal for small-boat and kayak fishing.
Fort Worden Pier
Fort Worden State Park's pier provides free pier-fishing over deeper water at the entrance to Admiralty Inlet where rockfish, perch, flatfish, and seasonal salmon pass through. The pier's position near Point Wilson puts it in the path of migrating salmon.
Marrowstone Island
Marrowstone Island east of Port Townsend features sheltered shoreline fishing where Chinook salmon, perch, and flatfish hold around the island's rocky and sandy shores. The Indian Island bridge area provides shore-fishing access to productive waters.
Other Species in Port Townsend
More fish you can target while visiting Port Townsend.
Dungeness Crab Fishing in Port Townsend — FAQ
The peak months for Dungeness Crab fishing in Port Townsend are July, August. During these months, Dungeness Crab are most active and abundant in the Port Townsend area.
Dungeness Crab fishing charters in Port Townsend 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 Townsend, 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 Townsend, you may also catch Rockfish, Pacific Halibut, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Lingcod. Many charter trips target multiple species for the best action.
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