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yesterday

California Sets Jan. 5 Opening for Central Dungeness Crab With 40% Trap Cut as North Awaits Tests

CDFW says the staggered plan balances whale protection with fishing opportunity.

Crabs rest in a holding tub during an off-the-boat crab sale at Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco in January. Dungeness crab season was delayed again this year but will start Jan. 5.
Crabs rest in a bucket during an off-the-boat crab sale at Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco in January. The commercial season will start on Jan. 5.
Matt Juanes shows a crab to members of the media before an off-the-boat crab sale at Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco in January. Commercial fishing for Dungeness crab will began in time for Lunar New Year celebrations.
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Overview

  • Central Management Area (Zones 3–5) opens Jan. 5, 2026 with a 40% trap reduction and a pre-soak starting Jan. 2 at 8:01 a.m.
  • Northern Management Area (Zones 1–2) stays closed until at least Jan. 15 due to domoic acid, with a Jan. 12 pre-soak and a 15% trap reduction upon opening.
  • California’s fair-start rule is triggered by the northern delay, barring vessels that fished other Dungeness areas from the delayed zone for 30 days after it opens.
  • CDFW will lift temporary recreational crab trap restrictions on Jan. 2 in Zones 1, 3 and 4, including stretches between the Oregon border and Cape Mendocino and from the Sonoma/Mendocino line to Lopez Point.
  • Officials say trap cuts reduce vertical lines that can entangle humpbacks; NOAA logged 95 large-whale entanglements in 2024 and Oceana reports four humpbacks confirmed in California crab gear in 2025.