The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has announced a phased opening of the 2026 commercial Dungeness crab season, beginning in Central California while northern waters remain temporarily closed due to crab quality concerns.
The commercial fishery in the Central Management Area spans from the Sonoma–Mendocino County line south to Point Conception; it will open at 12:01 a.m. on Jan. 5, 2026. Fishing Zones 3, 4, and 5 will be subject to a 40% trap reduction, a measure intended to reduce the risk of humpback whale entanglements by limiting the number of vertical lines in the water. A pre-soak period will begin Jan. 2, 2026, at 8:01 a.m.
The Northern Management Area, covering Fishing Zones 1 and 2 from the California–Oregon border to the Sonoma–Mendocino County line, will remain closed until at least Jan. 15, 2026, due to elevated levels of domoic acid that have delayed required crab meat quality testing. If testing results allow, the northern fishery is expected to open at 12:01 a.m. on Jan. 15, 2026, under a 15% trap reduction, with pre-soak beginning Jan. 12, 2026.
The delay in the northern region triggers California’s “fair start” provision, which restricts vessels that have participated in other Dungeness crab fisheries this season from fishing in the delayed area for 30 days after opening.
“Setting the opening date of the Dungeness crab fishery is never easy,” said CDFW Director Charlton H. Bonham, noting the need to balance fishing opportunity with protections for whales and sea turtles.
Lisa Damrosch, executive director of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations, said the opening reflects progress made by the fleet in reducing entanglements while maintaining a sustainable fishery.
CDFW will also lift temporary recreational crab trap restrictions beginning Jan. 2, 2026, at 8:01 a.m. in Fishing Zones 1, 3, and 4.
Fishermen are encouraged to follow best fishing practices, avoid areas where whales are present, and report lost or abandoned gear. The next whale risk assessment is expected in mid-January, 2026.
