Catch your limit or get your fill, it’s crab season on the coast!
Those who delight in Dungeness probably already know this, but it’s finally open season for crabbing on the coast! Dungeness crab season typically opens the first of December, but when the experts at the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife decide they’re not quite ready, (when their shells aren’t quite hardened enough after their summer molting, or their light weight indicates they’re not quite plump enough), the opening of commercial crabbing season is delayed, as it was this year.
While consumer recreational crabbing in Oregon’s estuaries is allowed year round, commercial crabbing typically opens in December and continues through mid-August. Seaside’s 12th Avenue bridge is a popular spot to drop a crab pot year round and many patient folks regularly catch their dinner there.
For those who are in the mood for a little more immediate gratification, you’ll find plenty of restaurants in Seaside, Oregon more than happy to prepare and serve you the freshest Dungeness of the season, whether you fancy crab cakes, crab bisque, or just a pile of crab legs with hot butter for the dipping.
My friends and family members who come to visit in Seaside often stop off at Bell Buoy seafood market on the way out to pick up some whole cooked crab for the road. What better souvenir from the coast?! With over 400 Oregon commercial crab permits issued, we’re sure you will have no problem finding your fill of sweet Dungeness crab at the coast.
Editor’s Note: A shellfish license is required for recreational crabbing. See the ODFW website for tips and complete rules and regulations.
