Oregon Dungeness Crab Season Starts December 16, Coastal Areas Included
On December 5 the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife announced the commercial Dungeness crab season will open December 16 from Cape Falcon in Tillamook County to the California border. The north coast will open later if crab in Long Beach Washington meet a 23 percent meat fill threshold, with the earliest possible opening on December 31, a timetable that shapes harvest plans and winter income for Lane County coastal communities.
The state has set a December 16 opening for Oregon commercial Dungeness crab fishing from Cape Falcon in Tillamook County south to the California border. The announcement made on December 5 also confirmed that the commercial bay crab fishery will open on the same date in the same area. For the north coast, the opening remains conditional on weekly biological sampling in Long Beach Washington reaching a 23 percent meat fill benchmark, meaning that area cannot open until that threshold is met and the earliest possible date is December 31.
This schedule matters to coastal communities in Lane County, including Florence, where commercial harvest schedules, processors and seafood retailers plan staffing, inventory and contracts around the crab season. Local harbors and landing facilities will see increased activity once traps go back in the water on December 16, and businesses that depend on Dungeness supply typically time shipments and promotions to match the opening. A delayed north coast opening could concentrate early season landings farther south, which may affect dockside volumes and short term pricing in regional markets.
The 23 percent meat fill criterion is a biological management tool meant to ensure sufficient meat content in crab before expanding the fishery. Maintaining that standard is part of fisheries management aimed at long term sustainability and stable yields for commercial fleets. For fishermen and processors, the measure affects when and where they can legally fish and brings fiscal uncertainty when sampling indicates the north coast may remain closed beyond the earliest date.
Local economic effects will depend on the timing and scale of landings over the coming weeks. An on schedule opening across the southern coast should restore winter revenue streams for crews and shore side workers who rely on Dungeness through the colder months. If the north coast remains closed into January the region could see a shift in supply that pressures prices and distribution.
Fishermen, buyers and seafood businesses should monitor updates from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife as weekly sampling continues and final north coast decisions are announced. Compliance with state rules and timely coordination between harvesters and processors will be key to managing the season and protecting local livelihoods.
