It might be dark and gloomy out, but that shouldn’t hold you back from getting out on the water to brighten up your day by catching a pot of Dungeness crab or a stringer of rainbow trout.
After coming off a decent summer, the Puget Sound winter crab fishing season never skipped a beat and continues to fill crab pots for those willing to brave some raindrops. The winter crab fishery is open daily through December 31 in Marine Areas 4 (Neah Bay, east of the Bonilla-Tatoosh line); 5 (Sekiu and Pillar Point); 6 (East Juan de Fuca Strait); 7 (San Juan Islands); 8-1 (Deception Pass, Hope Island, and Skagit Bay); 8-2 (Port Susan and Port Gardner); 9 (Admiralty Inlet); and 12 (Hood Canal; the portion north of Ayock Point only). In each area, sport crabbers are only allowed to set or pull traps from a vessel from one hour before official sunrise through one hour after official sunset.
Crabbing will not immediately reopen for winter in Marine Areas 10 (Seattle-Bremerton Area) and 11 (Tacoma-Vashon Island) due to limited share remaining following the summer recreational fishery. Fishery managers are evaluating harvest estimates for both areas and will determine if enough quota remains to allow a winter fishery. The portion of Marine Areas 12 (Hood Canal) south of Ayock Point and 13 (South Puget Sound) will remain closed for the winter season due to the ongoing conservation closure of all crab harvest.
The daily limit in Puget Sound is five Dungeness crabs, males only, in hard-shell condition with a minimum carapace width of 6¼ inches. Crabbers may also keep six red rock crabs of either sex per day with a minimum carapace width of 5 inches, and six Tanner crabs of either sex with a minimum carapace of 4½ inches. All recreational crabbers 15 years or older must possess a current Washington fishing license and a Puget Sound Dungeness crab endorsement catch record card. Winter catch record cards are free to those with crab endorsements and are available at license vendors across the state. Winter catch reports are due to WDFW by February 1, 2025.
Trout Fishing is a Fun Way to Opt Out of Black Friday
Instead of hitting up a shopping mall the day after Thanksgiving, why not head outdoors for some fresh air and a chance to catch some nice-sized trout! “If you’re looking for something to do, we’ve recently stocked lakes with thousands of trout in time for Black Friday fishing opportunities,” said Steve Caromile, the WDFW Inland Fish Program manager. “It’s a perfect occasion for those that want to avoid the malls and get outdoors.”
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has stocked 69,600 jumbo-sized rainbow trout, averaging about 1 to 2 pounds apiece, in 26 lakes mainly covering an area from the Puget Sound region to southwest Washington. The Black Friday program was created more than a decade ago as WDFW looked at ways to raise thousands of rainbow trout for a late season fishery. It’s since been a hit among anglers looking for fishing options at a time when choices are skinny.
Within the past two months, WDFW has also stocked many other year-round lakes around Washington for additional fishing opportunities. These lakes are options for those who want to get a jump start on fishing right now ahead of Black Friday:
Black Friday Trout Plants
- Chelan County – Roses, 25,000
- Clark County – Battleground, 2,000; Klineline, 2,000.
- Cowlitz County – Kress, 2,000.
- Island County – Cranberry, 4,000.
- King County – Beaver, 2,500; and Green, 4,500.
- Klickitat County – Rowland, 2,000.
- Lewis County – Fort Borst Park Pond, 2,000; and South Lewis County Park Pond, 2,000.
- Pierce County – American, 2,000; Bonney, 350; Harts, 550; and Tanwax, 1,000.
- Snohomish County – Ballinger, 2,500; Gissburg Ponds, 1,500; Silver, 2,500; and Tye, 2,000.
- Thurston County – Black, 3,000; Lawrence, 800; Long, 1,000; Munn, 650; Offutt, 1,000; St. Clair, 450; and Ward, 300.
- Yakima County – Elton Pond North, 2,000.
There are also three Eastern Washington lakes opening on Black Friday that were stocked with trout fry this past spring that should now be averaging 8 to 10 inches. They include: Hatch in Steven County (12,000 fry were stocked), Fourth of July in Adams/Lincoln County (80,000 fry were stocked), Hog Canyon in Spokane County (20,000 fry plus 1,000 trout averaging 1 pound apiece were stocked).
Recently stocked trout tend to stay near or just under the surface anywhere from depths of 3 to 10 feet. Once they acclimate, they’ll spread out and move into deeper areas of the lake. Anglers often stick around where the hatchery trucks put them in the water—usually near the shore, boat ramp or dock. A fishing license is required (youth under age 15 fish for free). To find out what lakes are open and for weekly trout plant updates, go to the WDFW website at: wdfw.wa.gov.
