Is Dungeness crab season open?
The 2026–27 answer, Oregon + California: Oregon’s bays are open now (they never close). California’s recreational opener is scheduled for Saturday, November 7, 2026 — but three CDFW whale-risk assessments between late October and December each have the power to delay it, restrict gear, or set depth limits. Here is every decision point on the calendar, with its source.
Where things stand
California · recreational
OPENS NOV 7Scheduled opener: the first Saturday of November. Subject to the three RAMP whale-risk assessments — last season the Oct 24 assessment delayed it and limited take.
Oregon · bays, docks & piers
OPENRecreational bay crabbing is open year-round in Oregon — no opener to wait for. Crabs fill in best September through December as they molt out of soft-shell.
Oregon · razor clams (the other opener)
PARTIALThe Oct 1 reopen is north of Cape Blanco only — the south coast stays closed on domoic acid until ODA testing clears it.
Why “scheduled” gets an asterisk
Last season the October 24, 2025 assessment delayed the California opener and limited take, and domoic closures in the north didn’t fully reopen until December 30. The same machinery runs again this fall — treat every date below as a decision, not a promise. CDFW Whale Safe Fisheries (RAMP)
How the 2026–27 season gets decided
Each row is a date an agency acts, who decides, and what can come out of it.
- Thu Oct 1, 2026ODA · Oregon
The annual razor-clam conservation closure lifts — this year north of Cape Blanco only.
- North-coast beaches open
- South coast stays closed (domoic)
Source: ODA shellfish closures
- Oct 24–28, 2026CDFW · RAMP assessment 1 of 3
First whale-risk assessment of the season, ten days before the scheduled California opener.
- Opener proceeds Nov 7 as scheduled
- Opener delayed by fishing zone
- Gear restrictions (trap limits)
- Depth limits (e.g. 30-fathom line)
Source: CDFW Whale Safe Fisheries (RAMP)
- Sat Nov 7, 2026CDFW · California
Scheduled California recreational opener — the first Saturday of November.
- Opens statewide
- Opens with gear or depth restrictions
- Delayed or closed by zone
Source: CDFW crab fishing
- Nov 17–21, 2026CDFW · RAMP assessment 2 of 3
Second assessment; open zones get their first in-season re-check.
- Restrictions lifted
- Restrictions kept or tightened
- New zone closures
Source: CDFW Whale Safe Fisheries (RAMP)
- Dec 6–22, 2026CDFW · RAMP assessment 3 of 3
Final scheduled assessment window of the fall season.
- Full statewide opening
- Continued zone restrictions
- Depth or gear changes
Source: CDFW Whale Safe Fisheries (RAMP)
- All seasonCDPH + CDFW · domoic testing
Domoic acid results can close or reopen crab waters independent of whale risk — last season's northern closures reopened through December 30.
- Zone closures on elevated domoic
- Reopenings as levels fall
Source: CDPH shellfish advisories
What can change after opening day
- Whale-risk assessments. CDFW runs RAMP whale-risk assessments in three windows this season: October 24 to 28, November 17 to 21, and December 6 to 22, 2026. Those decisions can delay or restrict the opener and change gear rules.
- Domoic testing. Domoic testing has delayed openers in past seasons.
- Depth limits and area restrictions. Any assessment can set them, including the one ten days before opening day, and in-season calls change them zone by zone.
Any of these change, you get an email.
What CoastWire alerts on
We poll these agency pages directly; watched fisheries and zones email you the minute they change.
- Every RAMP assessment outcome: delays, gear restrictions, depth limits and zone closures
- The California recreational opener call — opens, restricts or delays, by zone
- Domoic closures and reopenings from CDPH testing
- ODA biotoxin zone changes on the Oregon coast
- ODFW / MyODFW inseason rule changes for bays and the coast
Get alerted when crab season changes
The Nov 7 opener call, every RAMP outcome, and each domoic closure or reopening — emailed the moment the agency source changes.