Catching Crabs With Rental Boats, Crab Pots, and Rings.
So you over slept and missed the clamming tide in Seaside; well you’re not the first to miss

Dungeness Crab
catching crab
, fun for adults and kids alike!Catching crab in Oregon has always been phenomenal and on top of that, the Oregon coast is home to the Dungeons Crab that is particularly good eating – very sweet and meaty. You are allowed 12 male crabs, minimum size of 5’’ ¾ (about the size of dollar bill, measured from the inside notch, not point to point). You might also run into some Red Rock crabs, which you can keep 24 of no matter the sex or size. They are not as good to eat though and a lot of people throw them back.

Kelly’s Marina, Nehalem Bay

Crab Boil Shed, Nehalem Bay
It is also best to go crabbing on the “slack” tide of an incoming tide (start 1 hour before and 1 hour after). Slack tide is when the ocean stops coming into the bay, or slows, as it changes direction and starts going out. Crabs tend to hunker down when the tide starts moving in/out too fast and they stop feeding. Crabbing is also the best when the slack tide is very little – when there is not a great difference in the amount of water coming in, and out, from low to high tide (if you have a change of water depth of 9′ in a few hours, well that is a lot of water and crab will hunker down more and stop feeding).

Tillamook Bay, Garibaldi Marina
The crabbing also starts to pick up in the fall, when they start migrating into the Bays before the rains start. Both rains and melting snow from the mountains push fresh water into the bays, and if there is to much fresh water coming into the Bay crabs will start moving out to the Ocean because of the change in salinity. A lot people report better crabbing and fishing during a full moon (and we agree) but don’t let that discourage you from going out, it’s not that big of a difference considering other variables (ocean temperature is probably the biggest, then overall weather conditions, etc.).

Jetty Fishery, Nehalem Bay

Male Female Crabs

Newport, Oregon – Ocean Crabbing
Bay Boat Marinas I’ve Used and Recommend (photos below)
Marina | City | Phone | Rent Boats | Dock Crab | RV Park | Camp |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Kelly’s Brighton Marina | Rockaway | 503-368-5745 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
McKinley’s Marina & RV Park | Waldport | 541-563-4656 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Wheeler Marina | Wheeler | 503-368-5780 | Yes | Yes | ||
Silettz Moorage | Lincoln City | 541-996-3671 | Yes | Yes | ||
Garibaldi Marina | Garibaldi | 503-322-3312 | Yes | Yes | ||
Netarts Bay Marina RV Resort | Netarts | 503-842-7774 | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
Jetty Fishery Marina & RV Park | Rockaway | 503-368-5746 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Cabins |
Embarcadero Hotel & Marina | Newport | 541-265-8521 | Yes | Yes | Hotel |
MARINA PHOTOS