Crab & clam status today
Live from ODA’s map data when available, otherwise the values checked on the date shown. Call the hotline the day you go.
| Crab: ocean (boats) | Closed Oct 16 – Nov 30 (ODFW season rule) |
| Crab: bays, docks, jetties, beaches | Open Open all year under ODFW rules unless ODA closes it for toxins (area 50-L, Gold Beach to CA border) |
| Razor clams | Closed ODA zone: CA border to Pistol River |
| Mussels | Open ODA zone: CA border to Pistol River |
| Bay clams | Open ODA zone: CA border to Pistol River |
Checked on 2026-10-30 ODA page last updated 10/19/2026 (read from the ODA page at build time). The page tries to load ODA’s live map data when it opens.
ODA: gut crab and throw away the “butter” before cooking, and throw away the cooking liquid. The hotline is the best up-to-date source: 1-800-448-2474.
Source: ODA biotoxin closures · ODA closure map · ODFW crabbing & clamming report
Beginner’s guide to crabbing
Every rule below comes from ODFW, ODA or the Port, with links. Rules change, so check ODFW before you go.
Limits & sizes (daily, per person)
| Species | Limit | Size & sex |
|---|---|---|
| Dungeness crab | 12 | Males only, at least 5¾ in measured straight across the back, just in front of the points |
| Red rock crab | 24 | Any size, either sex |
| European green crab | 35 | Invasive species |
License & gear
- Everyone 12 and older needs a shellfish license. Buy a day or annual license online, from a license agent (list on the supplies section) or at an ODFW office. Licensing help: 503-947-6101.
- Up to 3 pieces of gear per person in total: rings, pots or baited lines. You can also crab by hand, dip net or rake.
- Gear set from a boat needs a marked buoy. Not required when you crab from a beach, jetty or pier. Pop-up buoys are prohibited.
- Each harvester keeps their own catch in their own container. Don’t cut up or clean crab before you land it, so it can be measured.
Source: ODFW licensing · ODFW shellfish regulations · ODFW report
Beginner how-to
- Check the status table, then call the ODA hotline 1-800-448-2474.
- Bring your license, a crab gauge, rings or pots, gloves, a cooler, bait holders and fresh bait. Chicken or turkey is bait seals and sea lions won’t take.
- Go near slack water, the time around high or low tide (see the tide table). Fall is usually the best season.
- Tie your line to the pier before you throw. Pull rings after 15–30 minutes at a brisk, steady speed; leave pots 1–2 hours.
- Release every female and undersized male right away, gently and not from a height. Measure every male you keep with the gauge.
- Keep keepers cool and alive (seawater or ice) until you cook them.
Source: ODFW “How to Crab” flyer (PDF)
Where to crab in Brookings-Harbor
- Public fishing pier near the Coast Guard station at the Port of Brookings Harbor. The Port lists it for fishing and crabbing.
- The Chetco estuary: ODFW says crabbing here may only be successful in the driest part of summer, when fresh water is lowest. After heavy rain, crab move out toward the ocean.
- Ocean crabbing from a boat is easy to reach through the Chetco bar, but it’s closed Oct 16 – Nov 30. Read the bar safety notes first.
- Bays, beaches, estuaries, tide pools, piers and jetties are open all year, 24 hours a day, unless ODA closes them for toxins.
Source: Port of Brookings Harbor · ODFW: where to crab · ODFW Southwest zone · ODFW report
Know before you go
Sneaker waves
Waves can surge at least 150 ft up dry beach, often after 10–20 minutes of small waves. Watch the water for 20 minutes first, never turn your back on the ocean, and stay off logs: soaked logs weigh up to several tons and the surf can roll them.
Source: NWS: sneaker waves · Oregon State Parks: beach safety
The Chetco bar
Flashing amber lights on the harbor signs mean a Coast Guard bar restriction. Listen on 1610 AM or VHF Ch. 16. Cross at slack water or on a flood tide, and check the marine forecast and bar camera first.
Source: Port bar guide (PDF) · Bar camera · NWS PZZ356 forecast
Shellfish toxins
Call the ODA hotline 1-800-448-2474 the day you harvest. A closed beach reopens only after two clean samples at least a week apart. Gut crab, discard the butter and cooking liquid. If you feel ill after eating shellfish, see a doctor and report it to the county health department.
Source: ODA closures
Tides & tide pools
An incoming tide can strand you away from shore, so know when it turns, especially at secluded beaches and tide pools. Take extra care at extreme tides and in storms.
Source: Oregon State Parks: beach safety · NOAA tides 9430104
Emergency: call 911. Full checklist on the safety page.