The Puget Sound
Puget Sound is one of the best places to go Dungeness crabbing in the United States. This has been my backyard for my whole life and hasn’t steered me wrong yet.
As far as location goes in Washington, there are quite a few places to go crabbing. Whereas we will focus primarily on the sound, there is excellent crabbing all along the coast.
Technically, the Pacific Coast from the Columbia River to La push is the most productive commercially, just not as accessible to the average recreational crabber, hence the Puget Sound covers all of our needs.
As the season approaches, most people have their tried and true spots (Sorry if I give any away in the future) but part of the fun of crabbing is finding new spots and places where you can get bigger and better crabs.
Crab habitat
Also, as we’ve seen crabs operate on a cyclical breeding cycle, that can vary greatly year to year. Put simply, I’ve had a great spot year after year but suddenly, next season it can be crap.
This is why it’s so important to be able to quickly and efficiently find a new spot.
The absolute basics of a good crabbing hotspot.
- Eelgrass/Sandy bottom
- Depth of 15-80 feet
- Sheltered bay or body of water
Dungeness crabs flourish in the sandy eelgrass beds that many of the Puget sound beaches have.
Red Rock crabs are found in the rocky bottoms and pier-side throughout much of the Sound. In fact, I’ve noticed pockets of red rock and groups of Dungeness located mere yards apart on the water. I can drop my pot in one spot and catch only red rock, then move yards down the beach and catch Dungeness.
Some good spots to start include:
- Kingston
- Birch Bay
- Port Townsend
- Dungeness Bay
Look for sand and bits of eelgrass floating around the water.
Bring out your 2-4 pots (I usually have 4 as I often go with my brother), string them along in 4 different depths and spots.
In fact, sometimes you can even see a cluster of pots and sort of snipe the crabs going that way. Place your pot near your competitor’s pot (kind of a dick move) and see if that spot works.
A lot of crabbing is guess and check. Find what works for you, and spots that do too.
When you find a crab hotspot, you’ll know.
I’ve been crabbing by myself with 2 pots and had 12 crabs consistently from that spot each day.
Dungeness Crab Depth
I personally try to crab between depths of 20-80 feet deep. Finding these spots can be fairly easy, as most lie within 100 to 600 yards from shore.
Simply looking at a depth chart or map of your target area can be enough to find a successful spot. I’ve caught crab in Birch Bay in 10 feet of water, all the way up to 120 feet in the Hood Canal. I stick to 80 feet and under because I usually only put 100 ft of rope on my pots. I’ve found that in many cases going deeper than that can be more hassle than it’s worth, just as many crabs are found in the shallower regions of bays anyways.
It’s not a bad idea to see about buying a NOAA chart for the most accurate info that you can take with you.
The last criteria are just something I’ve seen over the years. Crabbing in the middle of a strait or a fast-flowing tidal area is usually a bad idea. Pots can get swept around and it seems the crabs don’t like the fast-moving water.
Sheltered smaller bays offer crabs protection, moderate depth and most importantly, sand and eel-grass.
Keep an eye out for a list of more of my favorite beaches out soon 😉 (top secret info!!).
In the beginning, crab as close to your house as you can and begin to explore outwards to further beaches and see what works. Don’t be afraid to beat the crowd and try an untapped spot, at the end of the day, almost every single beach in the sound will have crabs, and maybe your own private hotspot. It’s up to you to find them.
Questions, comments? Give a shout below!
Cheers – Spencer
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