Washington · Strait & Sound
DUNGENESS CRAB FISHING
IN SEKIU
Sekiu is a solid destination for dungeness crab fishing, with peak season in August and good catches in July, September. Book a charter and target dungeness crab with local experts.
About Dungeness Crab Fishing in Sekiu
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 — Sekiu
Month-by-month availability for dungeness crab in Sekiu, WA.
How to Catch Dungeness Crab in Sekiu
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 Sekiu
Top spots where local captains target dungeness crab and other inshore species.
Sekiu River Mouth
The Sekiu River empties into the Strait of Juan de Fuca and its tidal mouth holds coho salmon and cutthroat trout staging before upstream migration. The river mouth area provides shore-fishing access where perch and greenling also feed in the mixing zone.
Clallam Bay
Clallam Bay adjacent to Sekiu provides protected inshore fishing where Chinook salmon, coho salmon, and bottomfish hold in the bay's deeper channels. The bay's calm waters and easy boat launch access make it a popular base for fishing the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
Sekiu Breakwater
The Sekiu breakwater and marina docks hold perch, greenling, and rockfish around the submerged structure. The breakwater's rock base attracts small rockfish and cabezon accessible to shore anglers and provides crabbing opportunities.
Pillar Point (Sekiu)
Pillar Point east of Sekiu is a rocky headland on the strait where Chinook salmon and coho salmon travel along the shoreline during their migration. Shore anglers cast from the point's rocky shore for salmon, rockfish, and greenling.
Other Species in Sekiu
More fish you can target while visiting Sekiu.
Dungeness Crab Fishing in Sekiu — FAQ
The peak months for Dungeness Crab fishing in Sekiu are August. During these months, Dungeness Crab are most active and abundant in the Sekiu area.
Dungeness Crab fishing charters in Sekiu 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 Sekiu, 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 Sekiu, you may also catch Rockfish, Coho Salmon, Pacific Halibut, Chinook Salmon, Lingcod. Many charter trips target multiple species for the best action.
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