Where to Crab at Depoe Bay

Don’t have a lot of money? No problem. You do not need much money or preparation to go crabbing. It is a great excursion for individuals and families.

Type of Crab you will catch in Depoe Bay

• 90% Rock Carb
• 10% Dungeness Crab

Type of Crab you will catch in Newport

• 50% Dungeness Crab
• 50% Rock Carb

Type of Crab you will catch in Lincoln City

• 90% Dungeness Crab
• 1% Rock Carb

The type of Crab caught depends on the bottom of the Bay. Rock crabs are like bays with rocky bottoms, while Dungeness Crabs are like sandy bay bottoms with Ell Grass. The Depoe Bay has mostly a rocky bottom; you will catch both more Rock Crabs.

Rock Crab is not bad eating, but all the meat in the two (2) pincher claws. It’s a lot of work for a bit of meat. If you just have an adventure with the kids, it is a great place because it is not crowded with the “hardcore crabbers.”

New to Crabbing? …. Free Crab Clinic … CHICK HERE

Private Crab Clinic Available by Appointment 7 days a week & Crab cooking …

The Crab Master will show you his favorite Crab location that requires a dock, pier, or dock. He will spend 30 minutes showing you how to catch crabs, explaining the Oregon Crab laws, and everything about Crabming for $25    

Call 541-765-2109 for an appointment.  Your traps, rental traps, or you can purchase them from the Crab Master;

Where can you Cook Crab?  …. We help you fix your dinner

We provide the kitchen equipment to cook Crab and show you how to clean & cook the Crab…. ready to eat…. $2.50/crab

Three (3) type of Crab traps for rent

Danielson Crab Trap….. is a “SOAKER” type of Crab Trap. This means you pull the trap after it has soaked for an hour or so.  It is 2 ft by 2 ft by 1 ft.  Danielson works by using the  Crab’s instincts to trap itself. It lures the Crab with bait bag into the large cage through strategically placed openings that they can enter but cannot escape.

The type of Crab caught depends on the kind of bottom of the Bay. Rock crabs like bays with a rocky bottom, and Dungeness Crabs like sandy bay bottoms with ELL grass. If the Bay has a rocky and sandy bottom, you will catch Rock and Dungeness Crabs.

The Soaker-type Crab Traps are typically used from docks, piers, and boats.

Ring Crab Trap … The concept is straightforward: bait the crabs into the ring and “pull” the trap up when you think the crabs are inside. The absolute most straightforward crab ring is a two-ring crab net. You should pull the Crab Ring up quickly, as the outer ring forms a wall so the Crab cannot escape. You will pull a Crab Ring up every 5 -10 minutes, depending on the crab activity.

Crab Traps can be pickup at the Siletz River Location 82 Siletz Hwy South of Lincoln City

Rent Three Trap Option: A Set of (3) Crab Traps, a bucket, and a crab gauge @$50/set. Reservations are No Deposit or Obligation. Crab Traps can be picked up 8 AM—Dark with reservations.

Rent One Trap Option Set of  (1) Crab Traps, a bucket, and a crab gauge @$40/set. Reservations are No Deposit or Obligation.  Crab Traps can be picked up 8 AM – Dark with reservations.

PURCHASE Three Trap Option Three (3) Crab Trappers, a bucket, and crab gauge @$150/set.

PURCHASE Three Trap Option One (1) Crab Trapper, a bucket, and a crab gauge @$50.   The office sales & reservation staff is only available to ask questions and sales from noon – 9 PM… 541-765-2109

Crab License … must-have.  Available at our Siletz River Location. Instate @$10/year….  Out of State @$20/3 days.

Rent Kayaks, Crab & Fishing Boats. Quad Kayaks and Crab Cats

• Kayak Launches available 8 AM – 6 PM. The office reservations staff is available @ 541-765-2109 to ask questions from noon – 10 PM
• Reservations for Single and Tandem Kayaks are made online.  Reservations are No Deposit or Obligation.
• Reservations for Motor Boats, Fishing Boats, Cr.ab Boats, or Crab -Cats are No Deposit or Obligation.
• Launched depends on tides. Tide table CLICK HERE

Location of Free Crabbing Clinic

The clinic will be in Lincoln City, Depoe Bay, or Newport. Depending on the rain, tides, weather, and registration, the location may change weekly. Once registered, you will be given the next clinic’s location.

Gloves are needed if you are going to handle the Crab

Valid credit card info to be used if Crab Trap not returned

Crabbing in Lincoln City …. Siletz Bay .... CLICK HERE

Crabbing in Newport …. CLICK HERE

You will usually find Rock Crab in Depoe Bay, as shown in the picture. There is a 24 limit regardless of size or sex. Crab season is year-round in Depoe Bay.  The crab is a saltwater creature. Beginning in September, crabs tend to be more “filled out,” meaning a higher percentage of quality meat.

A whale cruising the Depoe Bay Harbor

How to Crab at Depoe Bay

Depoe Bay is the World’s smallest bay and attracts thousands of visitors annually.

The Spouting Horn is next to Highway 101 and will shoot up to 40 ft of water in the air. It’s sometimes nicknamed a “blowhole,” but the spouting horn is a more correct label. It’s the result of a fissure in the rocky ledges just below the sea wall at Depoe Bay, which funnels the heavy waves into a tinier and tinier space, eventually compressing the energy of the wave into such a small space it releases in an upward spout. Certain tidal conditions must be met to create this effect – the waves must be sufficiently large. This isn’t a problem during much of winter and spring, so you’ll find plenty of explosive spouting action during these times of the year. It fires into the air abruptly, sending seawater 20, maybe 40 feet high without warning. Looking like some white version of the Black Smoke Monster from LOST, its presence is dramatic, startling, and awe-inspiring.

Depoe Bay is the only town on the Oregon coast with a “spouting horn” in its downtown. Most of the other spouting horns exist in places outside any city limits, and they are few and far between (there are two in upper Lane County near Yachats and two at different ends of Yachats – and that’s mostly it).

Depoe Bay’s location is ideal, as it is just minutes from some of the most productive fishing for nearshore deepwater complex rockfish species along the Oregon Coast. According to statistical catch information compiled by the National Marine Fishery Service, anglers fishing out of Depoe Bay and Yaquina Bay have the highest catch ratio of rockfish per angler on the Oregon Coast.

Depoe Bay Crabbing allows crabbing and fishing from the port docks from one hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset. Since Depoe Bay has a rocky entrance, more Rock Crabs will be found than Dungeness Crabs. All crabbing equipment must be removed from the docks during prohibited hours.

Lifejackets must be worn by children under 14 when crabbing from the port docks, but you must provide them with lifejackets. Lifejackets can be rented from http://www.SiletzRentals.com

Come and Go Traveler

You cannot Crab all the time, so the Traveler wants to give additional ideas for things that, as a native Oregonian and a permanent local resident, he likes to do in Depoe Bay. That is not to say they are the best or only things in Depoe Bay, but they are from the perspective of a permanent local resident.

Tidal Raves Restaurant—CLICK HERE This restaurant has wonderful big windows that provide views of the Pacific Ocean and Whales. People drive out of their way to go to the “Tidal Raves” restaurant. It is easy to find the restaurant because it is right on Highway 101. The parking lot will be full, and people are parking along the highway. Call EARLY for a reservation and ask for a window seat.

The seafood is wonderful, and they had a great selection. The prices were very reasonable. Our favorite dessert is breaded pudding with bourbon sauce.

Crabbing Clinic

We teach a crabbing system developed by Bill Lackner of Newport has been teaching how to use this system in Siletz Bay since 2004.

The clinic provides Oregon’s crabbing regulations, harvest methods, the location of the four (4) crabbing docks, and live demonstrations.

Crabbers are allowed to crab with up to three devices per license. At the Clinic, demos will be given on how to crab from shore or a kayak. Crab Traps will be available to rent, purchase, or bring your own traps for demo.

Crab Licenses .. Oregon State Resident = $10 … Three (3) Day Our of State =$20

YOU ONLY NEED ONE license PER THREE (3) CRAB TRAPS …

The clinic is in Lincoln City, Depoe Bay, or Newport. The location will be changed depending on the rains, tides, weather, and registration.

The free clinic is about one hour.

Best Time to Crab

Any time is the time to Crab, but some or better than others.

“Slack water” also called “Slack Tide” (the times of peak high or low tide) are the best times to crab. During swift tidal exchanges crab often bury themselves, but at slack water, more crabs are walking around foraging, since they are less affected by tidal currents.

 The favorite time to harvest crab is roughly the one-hour time slot on each side of the high tides for the day (one hour on each side equals a two-hour time slot). The tide moves the slowest, allowing the crabs to roam around and look for food without fighting the current, but crabs can be trapped at any time of day.

Crab Licenses 

• State Resident = $10
• Three (3) Day out of State = $20

YOU ONLY NEED ONE license PER THREE (3) CRAB TRAPS …

FREE Kid’s Crabbing Special

Every kid ages 8, 9, 10, and 11 needs the opportunity to Crab at no charge for 24 hours. The only restriction is one per family/season & valid Credit Card

Adult 24-hour Crab Trap package $50

• Three (3) Round Crab Max crab traps, and line
• One (1) Crab gauge
• One (1) Crab bucket
• Bait & License not included

Equipment that can be rented from Siletz Rentals

• Crab Traps
• Kayak
• Crabbing
• Fishing boats
• Touring
• National Wildlife Refuge
• Guides
• Crab-Cats

Reservation Office Hours… noon – 10 pm … 541-765-2109