The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) will open the commercial Dungeness crab fishery in the Central Management Area — covering the Sonoma/Mendocino County line to Point Conception — on Jan. 5, 2026, at 12:01 a.m., with a pre-soak period beginning Jan. 2 at 8:01 a.m. Fishing Zones 3, 4, and 5 in this area will operate under a 40% trap reduction aimed at reducing entanglement risk for humpback whales.
The Northern Management Area, spanning the California/Oregon border to the Sonoma/Mendocino County line (Fishing Zones 1 and 2), will remain closed until at least Jan. 15, 2026, due to elevated domoic acid levels that prevent crab meat quality testing. A pre-soak period for the Northern Area is scheduled to begin Jan. 12 at 8:01 a.m., with the season opening under a 15% trap reduction. Under the “fair start” provision, vessels that fished in other commercial Dungeness crab areas during the season cannot harvest in the Northern Area for 30 days after its opening.
CDFW emphasized that the trap reductions are intended to balance commercial fishing activity with whale protection. Any commercial vessel fishing or transiting these zones is required to comply with the applicable trap reduction. The Director’s Declaration provides additional details on gear restrictions.
CDFW Director Charlton H. Bonham said, “Setting the opening date of the Dungeness crab fishery is never easy. The commercial Dungeness crab fishery is inherently complex, and careful consideration is required to ensure we are supporting California’s fishing communities while also reducing risk of entanglement of whales and sea turtles off our coast.”
Lisa Damrosch, executive director of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations, said, “The commercial fishing fleet has always been both a producer of sustainable seafood that feeds our communities and coastal economies, and a steward of the ocean we depend on for our lives and livelihoods. Hard work and sacrifices by the fleet have reduced entanglements even as whale populations have grown, and we appreciate CDFW for recognizing that progress and responding by opening the season with additional opportunity.”
CDFW also encourages commercial fishers to follow best practices, avoid setting gear near whales or sea turtles, and retrieve lost or abandoned traps. Permitted vessels may retrieve up to six derelict commercial Dungeness crab traps per trip under California regulations. Derelict gear can also be reported through CalTIP.
The next risk assessment for the fishery is expected in mid-January 2026.
