Dungeness crab fisheries vary sharply by coast, season, and management area. Oregon averaged 18.4 million pounds of commercial landings per season over the last 20 years, while California averaged 19.6 million pounds between the 2008-09 and 2017-18 seasons. Alaska’s long-term averages were lower, and Washington’s coastal totals moved from 8.30 million pounds in 2008-09 to 24.06 million pounds in 2022-23.
Dungeness crab statistics at a glance
- Oregon landings and value
- Washington coastal fishery
- Washington-puget-sound-management
- Size, growth, and reproduction
- Alaska harvest history
- California landings and permits
The figures below describe commercial fisheries, management targets, or biological characteristics, depending on the section. A season is not always a calendar year: Oregon and California figures use fishing-season labels, while the Washington current-season figures are measured through January 12, 2026.
Oregon landings and value
Oregon’s commercial Dungeness crab fishery, including landings from the ocean and the Columbia River, averaged 18.4 million pounds per season over the last 20 years. The same 20-year period averaged $49.7 million in ex-vessel value per season. These are averages reported on the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife commercial crab landings page, not a single-season result.
The largest historical Oregon landing total identified there was more than 33.5 million pounds in the 2004-05 season. The highest ex-vessel value was more than $91.5 million in 2021-22. Pounds and value therefore describe different records: the season with the largest reported value was not the season named as the poundage record.
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s season summaries show the following comparison for the two most recent completed seasons in the supplied records:
| Oregon ocean commercial season | Landings | Average price | Ex-vessel value | Total tickets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 31,578,905 pounds | $2.69 per pound | $85.0 million | 6,149 |
| 2023-24 | 24,692,837 pounds | $3.79 per pound | $93.6 million | 5,783 |
The 2023-24 total was accompanied by an average price of $3.79 per pound and $93.6 million in ex-vessel value. The season recorded 5,783 total tickets. In 2022-23, Oregon recorded 31,578,905 pounds, an average price of $2.69 per pound, $85.0 million in ex-vessel value, and 6,149 total tickets. The different combinations show why landing weight, price, and value should be read together.
Oregon’s 2023-24 landings were concentrated early in the season. December contributed 5,477,613 pounds, January 7,310,847 pounds, and February 8,884,403 pounds. March contributed 1,889,685 pounds, followed by 728,193 pounds in April and 200,959 pounds in May. The monthly figures are from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife 2023-24 Crab Landings PDF.
For 2022-23, the reported monthly totals were 8,510,871 pounds in January, 11,875,965 pounds in February, 6,885,636 pounds in March, 2,516,157 pounds in April, and 1,030,072 pounds in May. These monthly observations come from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife 2022-23 Season Summary PDF.
Washington’s coastal fishery
Washington’s non-treaty coastal commercial Dungeness crab landings totaled 17,566,876 pounds in 2023-24, according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife coastal commercial crab landings page. The same page reports 24,062,301 pounds in 2022-23 and 15,277,788 pounds in 2021-22.
Earlier reported coastal totals were 10,102,727 pounds in 2020-21, 16,766,037 pounds in 2010-11, and 8,298,509 pounds in 2008-09. These are season-specific totals and should not be treated as a continuous annual average.
The 2023-24 Washington coastal total was distributed across the listed catch areas as follows:
| Catch area | Landings in 2023-24 |
|---|---|
| 59A1 | 117,684 pounds |
| 59A2 | 397,176 pounds |
| 60A1 | 2,147,061 pounds |
| 60A2*60B | 10,466,305 pounds |
| 60C | 611,183 pounds |
| 61 | 987,212 pounds |
The catch-area entries are reported by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. The 60A2*60B area accounted for the largest listed amount at 10,466,305 pounds, while 59A1 had 117,684 pounds. The area labels are retained as reported.
The current Washington coastal figures are partial rather than completed season totals. Through January 12, 2026, the 2025-26 coastal current landings totaled 4,118,342 pounds, with a total state ex-vessel value of $17,914,748. January accounted for 4,039,013 pounds through that date, while December accounted for 79,329 pounds. Because the measurement ends on January 12, these figures should not be compared with completed-season totals as if the seasons covered the same period.
Washington Puget Sound management
Washington’s 2023-24 Puget Sound commercial crab season used regional commercial targets. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife 2025 Puget Sound Crab Commission presentation assigned Region 1 a target of 1,758,590 pounds, Region 2E a target of 415,327 pounds, and Region 2W a target of 78,879 pounds.
The same presentation listed four Subregion 3 targets: 42,004 pounds for 3-1, 262,652 pounds for 3-2, 12,887 pounds for 3-3, and 3,306 pounds for 3-4. These are management targets for named areas, not a statewide landing total and not a biological estimate.
The 2023-24 commercial fishery opened with a five-day pulse opening from October 20 through October 24, 2023. Initial pot limits were 30 pots in Region 1, Region 2E, and Region 2W. The initial limit was 35 pots in Subregions 3-1, 3-2, 3-3, and 3-4. These opening rules are reported in the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife 2023-2024 Commercial Crab Season Review.
Size, growth, and reproduction
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game species profile reports a legal Dungeness crab size of 6.5 inches, measured notch-to-notch. Alaska Dungeness crab can reach that legal size at 4 to 5 years of age and typically weigh between 2 and 3 pounds at legal size.
The estimated maximum lifespan in the Alaska profile is 8 to 13 years. Sexual maturity may be reached at 3 years, which means the reported age of possible maturity is earlier than the typical age range given for reaching legal size. A large female can carry about 2.5 million eggs.
The species is most abundant in waters shallower than 30 meters, although Alaska Dungeness crab have been found as deep as 200 meters. Those two depth figures describe abundance and observed maximum depth separately; the deeper observation does not mean the species is most abundant there.
Larval development lasts from 4 months to as long as 1 year before the first juvenile stage. During that development, Alaska Dungeness crab pass through six successive larval stages before becoming juveniles. The durations and stage count come from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game species profile.
Alaska harvest history
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game profile reports a historical peak Dungeness crab harvest of 15.79 million pounds in 1982. It also gives several long-term average harvest measures: 6.48 million pounds for 1966-2011, 6.47 million pounds for the 40-year average, 6.98 million pounds for the 30-year average, 5.49 million pounds for the 20-year average, and 5.31 million pounds for the 10-year average.
These averages cover different time windows. The 1966-2011 figure is tied to an explicitly stated calendar span, while the other figures are described by window length. They are useful as historical reference points, but they should not be treated as identical estimates or combined into one trend line.
California landings and permits
The California Ocean Protection Council status report states that California’s Dungeness crab fishery averaged 19.6 million pounds of landings between the 2008-09 and 2017-18 seasons. The 2011-12 season was a record at 31.9 million pounds, while the 2017-18 season totaled 5.3 million pounds.
California’s ten-year average landings were 10.1 million pounds in the Northern Management Area and 9.5 million pounds in the Central Management Area. Since 2010-11, Central Management Area record seasons ranged from 10.5 million to 19.1 million pounds. The last Central Management Area record before that recent cycle was 9.3 million pounds in 1956-57.
The same status report says California renewed 552 Dungeness crab permits in 2018, down 10% from the 616 permits renewed in 2008. California’s commercial Dungeness crab trap-limit program divides vessels into seven tiers. The highest tier was allotted 500 traps, and the lowest tier was allotted 175 traps.
California established its limited-entry program in 1995 and established the Dungeness Crab Task Force in 2008. Those dates describe the management framework reported by the California Ocean Protection Council, while the permit and trap figures describe the later status of the fishery.