SESKStuff Everyone Should Know
SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/fish-release-female-dungeness

In Puget Sound, what must you do with a female Dungeness crab you catch?

Release her right away.

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  1. Release her immediately ✔
  2. Keep her if she is big enough
  3. Keep her only if she has no eggs

Why: In Puget Sound, only male Dungeness crab may be kept. Females must go back in the water right away so they can keep the crab population healthy.

Huh, didn't know that: Sport crabbers catch more than 1.5 million pounds of Dungeness crab in Puget Sound each year.

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Why couldn't the hermit crab live alone? It wasn't shell-sufficient.
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References

Answer: Release her immediately. In Puget Sound, only male Dungeness crab may be kept. Females must go back in the water right away so they can keep the crab population healthy.

  1. WDFW Recreational crabbing in Puget Sound wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/basics/recreational-crabbing-puget-sound
    all undersized males, soft-shell crabs, and female Dungeness crabs must be released immediately back to the water.
    Checked 2026-10-10.

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