SESKStuff Everyone Should Know
SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/fish-soft-shell-crab

In Puget Sound, a crab you pulled up has a soft, flexible shell. What do you do?

Release it, soft-shelled crab are off limits.

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  1. Keep it, soft crab taste best
  2. Release it back to the water ✔
  3. Keep it if it measures legal size

Why: A soft shell means the crab recently molted. Puget Sound rules require you to release soft-shelled crabs so they can harden and grow.

Huh, didn't know that: On Washington's coast, crab pot season closes for part of the fall to reduce soft-shell crab deaths.

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References

Answer: Release it back to the water. A soft shell means the crab recently molted. Puget Sound rules require you to release soft-shelled crabs so they can harden and grow.

  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.
  2. WDFW Crab seasons and areas wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/shellfishing-regulations/crab
    pot gear season closes in several areas for a portion of September, October, and November to reduce soft-shell crab mortality.
    Checked 2026-10-10.

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