Crabbing Spots in California (The Complete List)
I’ve compiled a list of spots to catch Dungeness & Rock crabs in California so you don’t have to spend hours researching yourself. I’ve scoured google reviews and forums, called local tackle shops, and watched hours of youtube videos to put together this extensive list of actual crabbing spots.
This post gets pretty in-depth, so I broke it down by the type of location. You can go crabbing in California without a boat at piers, shorelines, and jetties.
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Map of Public Crabbing Spots (Without a Boat)
I color-coded the spots on this list to give you an idea of what each one has to offer.
- Public piers where you can use hoop nets, crab snares, and crab pots are labeled with a blue pinpoint.
- Shorelines are public beaches that are great for crab pots and crab snares. They are labeled with a red pinpoint.
- Jetties are stretches of rock into the water where you can cast crab snares. They are labeled with a yellow pinpoint.
TLDR: My Picks for the Best Crabbing Spots Across California
Question: Where are the best places to go crabbing in San Fransisco?
Crabbing is a popular sport in the Bay Area, with the most visited spots being Pacifica Municipal Pier, Half Moon Bay Jetty, and Ocean Beach. These spots offer great crabbing, but they’re crowded. To get away from the crowds but stay local, try heading north to Bodega Bay Jetty and Dillon Beach.
Question: Where can I go crabbing in Eureka, California?
Del Norte pier is the most popular spot to set crab traps or use crab snares in Eureka, California. You can also go crabbing from Samoa Beach with crab snares. If you prefer crab pots & hoop nets, take a kayak or boat and go crabbing in Humboldt Bay.
Question: Where can I go crabbing in Southern California?
Crabbing in Southern California is difficult, as crabs are rarely seen south of Santa Barbara, CA. You will not reliably be able to catch them until you go north to The Bay Area. For those wanting to go crabbing in San Diego and Los Angeles, try taking a boat into deeper waters or heading North.
If you’re from Socal and want an article on where to go crabbing directed towards you, read my article: Crabbing in Southern California is sparse, try these options instead!
Table of Contents
With the Holiday Season coming around, I put together a gift guide for anyone who loves to go crabbing. I was tired of generic crabbing gift ideas with a graphic of a crab on a mug or t-shirt. Instead, I wanted to make a list of what a crabber actually needs and will end up buying themselves.
If you’re interested, read my article: Gifts Ideas for Any Crabber (Items they’ll actually use!).
Crabbing Charters: The Best Option for Beginners
Before I list spots where you can go crabbing by yourself from shore, I want to mention another option for those who are new to crabbing or are experienced and want to try crabbing from a boat. With a crabbing charter, you have the option to go out on a private fishing boat with an experienced crabber as a captain. He or she will teach you everything they know about catching Dungeness and red rock crabs as you both pull traps and go fishing. At the end of the day, you keep all the crabs and fish you catch. Sometimes, the captain will even fillet, steam, or cook it for you! You also don’t need to buy any fancy crabbing or fishing gear, it’s all provided for you!
If what I just described sounds like a fun time for you, I recommend booking a crabbing charter. I am an affiliate for Fishingbooker.com, which is like the Airbnb or Zillow of fishing charters. I am a huge fan of their service, which is why I recommend them to my readers. Full transparency, I will receive a small commission if you purchase a crabbing charter through my link at no extra cost to you.
Warrior Poet Sportfishing, San Francisco CA
View price on Fishingbooker.com (Affiliate Link).
For those of you in the Bay Area, I selected a crabbing charter that’ll give you the most experience for the best price. It’s captained by David King who has been fishing and crabbing in the Bay Area for the past 25 years. He has dozens of great reviews from families who took his charter. They say that Captain King keeps them active and is a wealth of information for fishing and crabbing.
Nemo Charters, Long Beach CA
View price on Fishingbooker.com (Affiliate Link).
SoCal is popular for everything, but its shore crabbing. You have to take a boat into deeper waters to really have a chance of pulling Dungeness Crabs. So, why not take a crabbing charter? I recommend all my readers to Nemo Charters with Captain Kevin. You’ll never meet a more down to earth, experienced fisherman. He’s been fishing and crabbing over the past 20 years who is passionate about teaching kids and adults how to fish and crab. He offers quick and inexpensive 2-hour crabbing trips, which would make for a fun afternoon.
Steve Huber, Brookings OR
View price on Fishingbooker.com (Affiliate Link).
For those of you in Northern California, I found an inexpensive crabbing charter hosted by Captain Steve Huber. He captains a 31’ Alumaweld Pacific, which has plenty of room to move around and stay warm on your crabbing trip. He will supply all the fishing rods and crab pots. He’s known as one of the most involved and enthusiastic guides in Northern California and Southern Oregon. I am happy to recommend him to anyone who wants an experienced captain by their side.
The Best Crabbing Piers in California
Crabbing from a pier is what I recommend to beginners or those lucky enough to live nearby one. Here, you get to use every type of crab-catching method in California. You can use hoop nets, crab snares, and crab pots.
Hoop nets (also known as ring nets) are my favorite ways to actively catch crabs as they’re so easy to use. When you’re on a pier, you’re at the perfect vantage point to use these traps as you need to be above a certain depth of water. These traps also work from a boat and shoreline with some slight modifications, but a pier is a perfect fit.
I recommend anyone looking to go crabbing from a pier to use KUFA-Brand ring nets (Affiliate link to Amazon.com). While other crab nets are designed for blue crabs, these as specifically designed for Dungeness and Red Rock Crabs.
If you’re interested in crab snaring, read my article: Crab Snaring (The Complete Guide). If you want to use crab pots, read my article: Promar TR-530C2: The Best Trap For Dungeness Crabs.
The only trade-off to crabbing from a pier is that you may be competing with other crabbers, which means fewer crabs for you. It’s also a highly-pressured spot, which means people tend to crab here more often than in other spots. Eventually, in my opinion, the crabs start to figure this out.
It does, however, make for a great atmosphere of like-minded anglers who will love to share their tips and experiences crabbing. You’ll walk out a better crabber than before with all that insight.
Pacifica Municipal Pier
If you ask anyone where to go crabbing in the Bay Area, they’ll tell you about Pacifica Municipal Pier. If I could pick one, this would be the most popular spot to go crabbing in California, and for good reason! You do not need a fishing license to catch Dungeness or Rock Crabs here.
The pier allows both crab snaring and using ring nets. They do not want you to use folding traps or crab pots, so leave your Promar crab pot at home.
When crabbing at Pacifica, head further back on the pier after the waves are breaking. There you’ll find a more sandy-bottomed area to set your crab rings and cast your snares. I recommend bringing a few ring nets and a crab snare to stay constantly crabbing. You can also bring a fishing rod for just plain old fishing. I’ve found that Red Rock Crabs are closer to shore, and Dungeness are further out.
The water can get rough here, so I recommend weighing your traps so they don’t get moved around by the current. You may also find a few seals who want your crab bait.
There are public restrooms here as well as a pretty big crowd. It’s pretty easy to park here during the week, but it gets crazy on weekends. It’s only a short walk to the actual crabbing spot.
Pillar Point Harbor
If you head a bit south from San Fransisco to Half Moon Bay, you’ll find the infamous Pillar Point Harbor. People come from all over to buy freshly-caught Dungeness crabs from the fishermen here, but you can also catch them.
On the West side of the harbor, there’s a small fishing pier. It’s a nice spot as it’s a small walk from the extensive parking lot and public restrooms. It’s also a great family spot, as you’ll find plenty of families partaking in crabbing here.
The list goes on for crabbing piers in California. For every spot I recommend, check out the complete map.
The Best Shorelines Across the State
Shorelines can range from rocky coves to sandy beaches. Crabbers go to these places to catch Dungeness and Rock crabs with crab pots and snares. Snares are a popular trap in California and what I focus on most when it comes to shoreline crabbing. If you’re an individual looking to catch a crab dinner, crab snares will work best. They’re easier to transport than bulky crab pots.
If you like the idea of using a crab snare, pick one of the many shoreline locations below and read my article Crab Snaring: The Complete Guide.
Crab pots will also work, but you will need to carry them to the beach and walk it into the surf yourself. Some spots on this post have a very long walk to the shore, so it just doesn’t make sense to use a pot. If you park close to the water and the area is free of beachgoers, a crab pot may be something to consider. I recommend people use the Promar model crab pot for Dungeness Crabs. Click here to read why.
Lawson Landing Campground
The Lawson Landing and Dillon Beach area are perfect for those who want to get away from the crowds of San Francisco crabbing. Here, you can find a pier at the campsite for ring nets and miles of shoreline to use crab snares.
You can either take a drive and park on the beach for a day of crabbing or book a campsite for a mini-crabbing vacation with whoever. Either way, you’ll be sure to have a great experience.
Black Point Beach
Black Point Beach is perfect for using crab snares for both Dungeness and Rock crabs. It’s a lesser-known beach that’s used by mostly locals, but that only means more crabs for you. Parking is limited and it’s a very long walk to the beach. There’s a small fee for parking and you will park your car here (link to Google Maps). There are public restrooms in the parking lot.
Manchester Beach State Park
People describe this place as an “untouched” or “raw” beach, and for good reason! This is a rarely-visited spot along the California coast and is used mostly by locals and surfers, which means more crabs for you. This is the ideal spot to use crab snares for Dungeness and Rock crabs. It’s mostly sandy-bottomed shoreline, so expect more Dungeness.
Parking is plentiful, but it’s a hike to the beach. Be prepared to walk 3/4 of a mile from your car to shore. There are no public restrooms at this location.
Albion River Campground & Beach
Ask any local, they’ll tell you that anyone looking to catch crabs will find them in the Albion River. The clear water and over 1000-foot dock will make crabbing with hoop nets and pots easy. You’ll also find that the beach is sandy-bottomed and perfect for crab snaring. You’ll be sure to find plenty of Dungies there.
As far as logistics go, there is a day fee to enter the park. When I checked today, it was $7.00 per adult. This may change, so visit their website to see the current price. This spot has public, well-kept restrooms. You can park right alongside the pier (room permitting).
Big River at Mendocino Headlands State Park
Big River is a sandy-bottomed inlet along Mendocino Bay that’s stocked with Dungeness crabs during peak season. A fun local spot for snares, nets, and pots is at the end of S. Big River Rd. It’s just outside of Mendocino, CA if you take Route 1 South.
Here, there is parking for the kayak rental spot and for a ledge that overlooks Big River which was a part of the old bridge. From there, you can catch Dungeness and Rock crabs however you like.
There are no public restrooms at this spot and you’ll have to be mindful of people on watercraft and swimmers. Get here early to make sure you get the spot for yourself.
Caspar Beach
Caspar Beach is a lesser-known beach cove along the Northern California coast. When it’s less crowded with beach goers, you’ll find it to be a great spot for shoreline fishing and crabbing. At low tide, you can travel along the rocky sides to deeper waters to find Dungeness and Rock Crabs. Locals say that the South side of the cove along Doyle Creek has a sandier bottom, which is better for Dungeness Crabs.
Besides crabbing, the spot is nice for swimming when the water’s warm enough. There is limited parking that’s a very short walking distance from the beach. There are no public restrooms. You can rent paddle boards and kayaks, stay with some friends at the campsite, and plenty more.
Ten Mile Beach
This stretch of beach just north of Fort Bragg is a state-protected area to conserve bird populations and other animals that need its sand dunes. It may surprise you to find that recreational fishing for Dungeness crabs is permitted, given that the state’s Dungeness crab season is open (Source: parks.ca.gov).
This would be an excellent spot to use crab snares. The ocean floor there is sandy, which Dungeness crabs love. The best part, you’ll have the beach to yourself! It’s a lesser-traveled spot that’s usually used by people taking a walk on the beach.
The Best Jetties to go Crabbing From
Jetties are plentiful in and around The Bay Area and attract plenty of crab snarers. It’s not as convenient as walking out onto a pier, but that just means you’ll have less competition. Jetties also put you in a better position to snare some crabs.
Crabbing from a jetty is best done with a crab snare. If you’re unfamiliar with this crabbing method, check out my article: Crab Snaring: The Complete Guide. I’ll quickly go through a few things you need to know while crabbing from a jetty.
You want to go crabbing during slack current, which does not coincide with a slack tide. You can check the current projections at NOAA Current Predictions for California.
Warning! Jetties are slippery and can be unsafe during rough weather. Do not go out on any jetty if there are high winds, high surf, or rain. You can check the conditions and for any warnings by the National Weather Service. Don’t end up like this guy who had to be helicoptered off a jetty by the Coast Guard.
Jetties are still slippery in safer conditions. To avoid falling in while crab snaring, I’ve been recommended wading boots with felt soles to provide extra grip. Going out on a jetty is no joke with big waves, slippery rocks, and a strong current. I want anyone considering to go crabbing here to be as prepared as possible. So, equip yourself with something like this high-quality boot on Amazon (Affiliate Link).
Half Moon Bay Jetty
Along with Pacifica Municipal Pier, Half Moon Bay Jetty is known as one of the most popular crabbing spots in California.
I’ve heard anglers say different things, but Fisherman’s Life says that the North Jetty is better for Dungeness Crabs, while the South Jetty is best for Red Rock Crabs. Whatever the case, either jetty will be great for crab snaring.
It’s a half-mile walk from the parking lot to the South Jetty, you can park here. It’s about the same distance from the parking lot that leads to the North Jetty. You can find this parking lot here. Because of this, I would pack lightly when carrying your crabbing gear to the Jetty. Use a backpack or cooler with a strap.
Bodega Bay North Jetty
Bodega Bay North Jetty is where those serious about crab snaring go to get away from the crowds of San Francisco. This 900ft stretch of rocks into the ocean gives you a great vantage point to cast for Dungeness & Red Rock crabs.
Be forewarned that jetties can become dangerous during rough weather. Check the sea conditions before going crabbing here.
You’ll want to park at Doran Campground. There’s a small fee for parking, but it beats parking in a free spot and walking over a mile with all your crabbing gear. Also, the campground has public restrooms.
