Info & Legal

It is important to know the fishing regulations when going for any particular species. The crab season only is from the first Saturday of November to June 30th here in the bay area. The beginning and end dates are determined differently based on your county throughout CA. Remember while San Francisco Crab fishing you are not allowed to keep Dungeness.

 You can only take crabs that are 5 ¾” (in CA) to properly measure them you are required to have a shellfish gauge and to know where on their carapace you need to measure them. The fishing regulations change as you go up into Oregon and Washington for the minimum size but due to the nature of our business we only operate out of San Francisco & CA.

Keep up to date on toxicity reports as they have a direct impact on personal crab consumption and if disregarded it can lead to illness.   

DFW Health Advisories here!

You are only allowed to keep Dungeness crab OUTSIDE of the bay past the Golden Gate Bridge. Inside of the bay is a breeding ground for Dungeness and as such it is a protected estuary for them. Fishing along the coast is allowed with a fishing license but any man-made structure such as a pier, dock or jetty does not require a license and is open to public use. 

Taking crab undersized, out of season or female crabs with eggs (as seen above) result in a $1000 dollar fine from Department of Fish and Wildlife PER CRAB. No Dungeness allowed while San Francisco crab fishing. The fishing regulations deem the daily limit for Dungeness crab up 10 per person and you are only allowed two poles per person.  (Photo supplied by Jennie Taylor Art of Crabbing guest 11/3/18)

For more info about San Francisco fishing regulations please visit this link DFW Website for San Francisco crab fishing!