Shellfish / Crab
Shellfish: Crab
Red Rock Crab
Cancer productus
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Open
Year-round
No pronounced peak. As a cancrid it thins after each molt and refills as the shell hardens, but molting is asynchronous with no managed pick-out season, so there is no sharp calendar peak.
signal · Shell hardness by hand, water temp. (assumed)
Plate No. 027 · Finley & Bohlman
Abundant, low impact
Common, hardy, and hard-shelled year-round, the reliable take when Dungeness is soft. A few for the pot puts no pressure on the population.
The read
Heavy brick-red shell, pitch-black claw tips. Open year-round, no closed season.
Field notes
Catching it›
Rocky bottoms, jetties, and pilings; they'll crowd a pot baited tight to structure.
Licensing›
Shellfish license (12+).
Catch rules›
Open year-round, no size or sex limit, 24/day, and no seasonal closure, unlike Dungeness. Heavy claws make up for the smaller body.
Preparation›
It's all in the claws: crack and pick the sweet meat. Steam or boil like Dungeness.
Where to find it
What we watch: live feeds
The Kit
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Sources
What informs Red Rock Crab in particular. The shared feeds it reads (tides, weather, water temp) are the live feeds above.
Agency / authority
ODFW Crabbing & Clamming: Marine Zone report · Recreational CRAB open/closed + the Oct 16–Nov 30 ocean closure; port-by-port.
Event