Creel Quick answer: Dungeness Crab is closed in every California region. The bag limit is the same in every region it applies to. Read on September 7, 2026; seasons change in-season with days of notice.
How to identify Dungeness Crab
Oval, with an armoured carapace that runs yellowish-orange to brown or purple, four pairs of walking legs and a pair of claws. The claws are the field mark: serrated teeth along the edge with light-coloured hooks at the tip. To sex one, look at the abdominal flap underneath. It is narrow and columnar on males, broad and semi-circular on females.
Size, range and where it lives
| Size | Both sexes mature as early as 1 year and more commonly by 2, at about 4 inches carapace length for females and 4.5 inches for males. |
|---|---|
| Range | Unalaska, Alaska down to Santa Barbara County. They are rarely found south of Point Conception. |
| Habitat | Most seafloor types, with a clear preference for soft or sandy bottom, from the intertidal to about 300 feet. Humboldt Bay and San Francisco Bay are important nursery habitat. |
Dungeness Crab by region
| Region | Status | Bag limit | Size limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern | Closed | — | — |
| Mendocino | Closed | — | — |
| San Francisco | Closed | — | — |
| SF Bay | Closed | — | — |
| Central | Closed | — | — |
Season dates
- Reopens Nov 7, 2026
What it costs to get it wrong
An undersize fish or one over the bag limit runs roughly $430 to $485 in total bail as an infraction, plus a further $71 to $82 for every individual fish over the line. Charged as a misdemeanor the base part is about $958 to $1,095, with the same per-fish amount on top. The range is real: two of the assessments are set county by county.
How California fishing fines are actually calculated →
This page is a snapshot taken on September 7, 2026. Creel re-reads every CDFW regional page daily and shows current status for your region, offline. Always confirm with CDFW before fishing.