Where to go Crabbing in Oregon (Local Secret Spots)
I scoured forums, talked to locals, and asked commercial crabbers where they go crabbing to put together this immersive list of crabbing spots in Oregon. Whether you have a boat and plan to set dozens of crab pots, or want to set a trap from a pier, I have a spot for you.
I categorized these spots by towns along the Oregon coast. You’ll find spots in Astoria, Brookings, and anywhere in between. I also make sure to mention where to park, if the spot has a restroom, if it has pubic trash bins, and what type of trap to bring.
I just want to make it clear that I’m not from Oregon. I learned about these spots from local crabbers and continue to hear of more places to catch crabs on the Oregon Coast. If you’re from Oregon and have a spot you’d like to share, please head to the Contact Page and send me an email! I may just add it to the list.
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Map of Crabbing Spots in Oregon
I color-coded the spots on this list to give you an idea of what each spot has to offer.
- Public piers are labeled with a blue pinpoint. Here, you use crab pots and collapsible traps.
- Boat Landings to go crabbing by boat are labeled with a green pinpoint. Here, you use crab pots and collapsible traps.
- Shoreline crabbing spots are labeled with a red pinpoint. Here, you use crab pots and snares.
- Jetties are labeled with a yellow pinpoint. Here, you use crab pots or snares.
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.
Jump to Your Town
Crabbing Spots by Town
Where to go Crabbing in Newport Oregon
I can’t wait to show you spots at the “Dungeness Crab Capital of the World,” also known as Newport, Oregon. Not only are there plenty of spots to go crabbing here, but locals and visitors are passionate about the sport.
The best spot to go Crabbing in Newport Oregon is the Newport Municipal Crabbing Pier. It’s a 1000-foot pier that jets into Yaquina Bay, which is filled with Dungeness and Red Rock Crabs. There is plenty of parking close to the pier, with public restrooms and a cleaning station for fish and crabs.
I’ll go over this spot and others in more detail.
Newport Municipal Crabbing Pier
If you’re a beginner or without a boat, Newport Municipal Crabbing Pier is the best spot for you in Newport Oregon. As the name suggests, this is a great spot to drop ring nets and crop pots off the 1000-foot pier into the Yaquina Bay. It includes public restrooms and a cleaning station for fish and crabs.
The restrooms are locked at 8pm, so be sure to pack up by then. The biggest complaint is the walking distance to the pier from the parking lot. You park at Rogue Ales & Spirits, and walk your gear to the pier.
This spot is close to the mouth of the Yaquina, which gets inundated with Dungeness Crabs at incoming tide. Plan your crabbing trip here during incoming high tide and consider adding weights to your traps if the current is strong. You can determine this based on the size of the tide change.
Yaquina Bay South Jetty
If you pull off of Route 101 onto South Jetty Way, you’l find a small area for parking for access to the Yaquina Bay South Jetty. Here, people go crabbing with crab snares and crab pots. Being directly at the mouth of the Pacific Ocean, you will be sure to find Dungeness and Red Rock Crabs here regardless of the tides.
I recommend coming here as the tide starts to come in, set your crab pot while the water’s low, and crab snare for the rest of the day. If you are new to crab snaring, I recommend you read my guide: Crab Snaring: The Complete Guide.
This spot, surprisingly, has well-kept public restrooms. It’s directly adjacent to the parking lot, and here’s a link to it on Google Maps.
Bay Street Pier
Bay Street Pier is limited in crabbing space but comes with endless opportunities to spend your day on the water. You can set your traps when you arrive, go eat at the many restaurants that line Bay Blvd, then come back to your traps that are hopefully overflowing with Dungeness Crabs.
If that sounds like a good day to you, I recommend you go crabbing at this spot. The pier is small, so only come with one trap. You can Park on Bay Blvd, which is a short walk from the pier. Being a popular spot, it’s regularly checked by DNR officials, be extra careful to follow Oregon’s Crabbing Regulations to protect the crab population and avid fines. You can read them on my page: Crabbing Regulations by State.
Make sure to schedule your trip with the tides. You want to set your traps as the Tide is coming in. You can read my article: When’s the best time to go Crabbing for more information.
Yaquina Bay Bridge Trail
This trail walks along over 1000 feet of shoreline, which nearly doubles in length at low tide. From there, it’s a sandy bottom full of kelp. This is exactly where you want to cast snares for Dungeness Crabs. I recommend setting up here during incoming tide and try crab snaring. If you aren’t sure what I’m talking about, check out my post: Crab Snaring: The Complete Guide.
Rock Bottom Fishing Charters: Crabbing Trip
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Just 20 minutes north of Newport is Rock Bottom Fishing Charters, captained by Neil Bohne. He will take you out on his boat The “Myla Rae” for hours of crabbing. The best part, you get to keep what you catch! I always recommend a crabbing charter to beginners for the experience and knowledge you’ll gain. Bohne has been crabbing for years and will be happy to share tips and tricks as you go crabbing with him. I can think of no better way to learn the sport.
Book this charter between September and February for the best time crabbing. This is when Dungeness crabs are at their meatiest.
Don & Davis Park Beach
The last shoreline spot on this post is Don & Davis Park Beach. The only difference between here and the other spots is that you will not be crabbing in the Bay. Instead, you will be crab snaring on the Pacific Ocean! It’s full of crabs, you just need to come on days when the water isn’t as rough. A strong current is fine because you can just add weight to the snare, but strong wind and choppy waves are a no-go. The crab snare will loosen as you reel it in because of the waves pushing it toward shore. Be sure to check the weather before you go crabbing here.
Otherwise, this spot offers plenty of parking and well-kept public restrooms. It’s not too crowded of a beach and isn’t a far walk from the parking lot.
Yaquina Bay in a Boat
I’ve been saving crabbing by a boat for last, but it’s one of the best ways to go crabbing. You can set crab pots all over the Yaquina Bay, other than where boat traffic passes through (obviously). Check out this map by Oregon Fish & Wildlife of where you can set crab pots in the Bay.
Two places where you can launch your boat in Newport are at the Port of Newport and Newport Marina Boat Ramp (links to Google Maps). Both spots charge a small fee to launch your boat, but you can fuel up and purchase bait at the marinas. I hear from locals that both are heavily trafficked, so I would come here on a weekday.
Where to go Crabbing in Brookings Oregon
Brookings Oregon is great for crabbing for Dungeness Crabs, but only near the mouth of the Chetco River. This fast-moving river runs through the heart of Brookings and carries a lot of fresh water from inland with it. Crabbing on this river will be better during the dryer parts of the summer when there is not as much freshwater rushing into the Pacific. This influx of freshwater deters Dungeness crabs and makes catching Dungeness crabs a bit more difficult (Source).
The majority of crabbing that happens in Brookings, whether from a charter boat or from a pier, is at the Harbor. It’s just south of The Checho River Bridge. Here, you will find a public pier where people set crab pots and three boat ramps to launch a boat to go crabbing.
Click here to see Brooking Harbor’s Public Pier on Google Maps, and click here to see Brooking Harbor’s Public Boat Ramp on Google Maps.
Captain Steve Huber Crabbing Charters, Brookings Oregon
Captain Steve Huber is a 24-year veteran catching Dungeness Crabs. He offers his 31-ft vessel to take you ocean crabbing off the Coast of Brookings. The charter comes with the necessary crabbing gear, bait, and supplies. All you need to bring is yourself and a fishing license. You get to spend the day crabbing and take home what you catch!
It’s best to go on a charter like this between October and February. That’s when Dungeness crabbing is at its peak. Otherwise, Captain Steve will take you fishing on the Brookings Coast.
I highly recommend taking a charter to anyone who’s new to crabbing for an experienced guide at your side. The knowledge you take home from the trip will be enough to go crabbing on your own, whether from your own boat or from a pier. Be sure to ask Captain Steve plenty of questions about crabbing in Oregon to get the most out of this trip. Check out his current charter rate on Fishingbooker.com (Affiliate link).
Crab Snaring in Brookings Oregon
Crab snaring, if you’ve never heard of it, is essentially snaring Dungeness crabs with a fishing pole. It’s a bit more complicated than that. Imagine a bait box with a few little snares attached to it on the end of your fishing line. You cast it into the water, lure some crabs, and reel it in with the hope their claw got snagged by a snare. It’s a lot of fun and I have a complete guide to crab snaring you can read here.
Crab snaring is more popular in California, but I’m trying to change that. While I haven’t heard of anyone trying it, you could try crab snaring at Sports Haven Beach and Harris Beach State Park (Links to Google Maps). Both shorelines offer sandy-bottomed shorelines where Dungeness Crabs love to burrow. If you do end up crab snaring there, let me know how you do on my Contact Us Page. If you send some pictures from your trip, I’m happy to feature them in this article.
Where to go Crabbing in Florence Oregon
The Siuslaw river wraps around Florence, Oregon, and out into the Pacific. This ocean access brings in Dungeness Crabs for crabbers like you and me to take advantage of! Let’s go over the most popular spots here, and other spots you may not have heard of.
The easiest spots to go crabbing in Florence Oregon are the Dock at Bay Street and South Jetty Crabbing Pier. Both spots offer low-lying piers where you can set crab pots to trap Dungeness Crabs. Both offer public restrooms and plenty of close-by parking spaces.
I’ll go over each spot in more detail.
The Dock at Bay Street
Welcome to the Florence Waterfront. Anyone can go crabbing here from the docks pictured above by Rick Obst. Just pay attention to any boat docking, you don’t want to get in their way. You may have an audience from Mo’s Restaurant and the nearby Old Town Park as you’re crabbing. Remember to wave!
We’re a bit further inland for this spot where the water is not as salty, so crabbing will be best at this spot during Incoming tide until a little after high tide. It will not be as good after heavy rain and wetter months when the river is inundated with Freshwater from inland.
You can parrel park along Bay Street to park as close to the dock as possible, but this fills quickly during the evening and weekends. Overflow parking for the waterfront is on Nopal St and 1st Street. There are also public restrooms at the entrance to the dock, which you can find here (Link to Google Maps).
I would recommend using crab pots and ring nets from this spot. Both will need to be weighted as the current’s strong in the Siuslaw River.
South Jetty Crabbing Pier
South Jetty Crabbing Pier is the most popular spot to go crabbing in Florence, OR. Here, you’ll find plenty of crabbers setting pots and ring nets and pulling up dozens of Dungeness Crabs. This pier is close to the mouth of the Siuslaw River, which brings in plenty of Dungeness Crabs from the Pacific.
This spot is highly-pressured because of the number of crabbers here. It’s a bit further away from Florence than the previous spot. It has plenty of parking and porta-potty restrooms at the base of the pier. Regardless of the crabbing, this spot has excellent views and is minutes from the Pacific Shore.
Siuslaw Public Boat Ramp (Crabbing by Boat)
If you decide that crabbing from shore isn’t for you, and you just so happen to own a boat, I recommend launching your boat at Siuslaw Public Boat Ramp. It’s located next to Siuslaw Campground at the end of 1st Street. You have to pay for parking and a small fee to launch your boat.
It’s nearly a complete consensus among locals that crabbing is better West of the Siuslaw River Bridge. This is a fast-moving river where the freshwater from inland can deter Dungeness from venturing too far from the Pacific. Crabbing is especially worse after heavy rain or generally in rainy months for this same reason. Take your boat past the bridge and sand dunes for this reason.
From there, place your pots out of the way of other boaters. You can set pots all the way to the mouth of the Siuslaw, and even in the Pacific if the weather allows.
South Jetty Beach (Crab Snaring)
The most accessible beach to crab snare near Florence is South Jetty Beach. There is parking very close to the shoreline, and you can even drive your vehicle on the beach if it’s capable. From there, the water is sandy-bottomed and perfect for snaring Dungeness Crab.
Come on a day when the wind isn’t too strong, usually under 5mph is best. The beach isn’t too crowded and there is plenty of room. For more information on how to go crab snaring, read my guide.
SOA Crabbing Charters – Winchester Bay
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I highly recommend anyone new to crabbing to go on a crabbing charter. With SOA Charters, Captain Travis Marsh will take you out on his 28-foot crabbing vessel and teach you everything he knows as you catch Dungeness Crabs. At the end of the day, you get to keep what you catch. You’ll learn the best tips for when, how, and where to go crabbing, which I believe to be more valuable than anything.
Where to go Crabbing in Seaside Oregon
In Seaside Oregon, people go crabbing for Dungeness Crabs in the Necanicum River with collapsible traps, crab pots, and crab snares. Three spots to set traps here are 12th Street Bridge, Necancium Estuary Natural History Park, and along the shore at the mouth of the Necanicum River.
12th Street Bridge
Seaside Bridge on 12th street is one of the best spots to set crab pots and ring nets on the Oregon Coast. You park your vehicle at the adjacent 12th Avenue Park, where there are public restrooms, and cross the street to set up your traps on 12th Ave bridge. Bring folding chairs and mind traffic.
The bridge has extended sidewalks, making it designed for people to go crabbing and fishing. I recommend going here during an incoming tide. You are close to the Necanicum River’s mouth on the Pacific, which is filled with saltwater and Dungeness Crabs as the tide rushes in.
You are best off using crab pots and collapsible traps here. Check out my recommended gear page for my recommendations on each. One thing I recommend is adding some weight to your traps, as the current can get strong here being so close to the ocean. Simply throw a rock in your traps or zip-tie some rebar. You can also buy a built-in weight on Amazon to attach to your crab pot (Affiliate Link).
Necanicum River Mouth
A lesser-known spot to go crabbing from shore in Seaside, Oregon is at the mouth of the Necanicum River. Here, you can go crabbing with crab pots and crab snares when the water isn’t too rough and have great results. This spot is the worst with parking, but has the best conditions for crab snaring. You can park at Seaside Beach (Link to google maps).
Necancium Estuary Natural History Park
Surrounded by natural beauty and at the mouth of the Pacific Ocean, this park puts you in the perfect spot to go crab snaring. Even if the Pacific is too rough for crab snaring, you can usually snare here with Oogie Island blocking the waves and current.
I recommend going crabbing here at incoming high tide when the waves aren’t too big. You can get away with a strong current if you add more weight to your crab snare. There is plenty of parking at the park along Holladay Dr, right across from Seaside High School.
Where to go Crabbing in Astoria Oregon
Astoria, Oregon is home to some of the best crabbing in Oregon. It’s at the mouth of the massive Columbia Estuary, where Dungeness Crabs pour in by the thousands from the Pacific Ocean.
Astoria has a public crabbing and fishing pier at Astoria Recreation Center along the Youngs River. There, you can set crab pots and collapsible traps for Dungeness Crabs. You can also go crabbing by boat in Youngs Bay and the Columbia River.
Astoria Recreation Center Fishing Pier & Boat Ramp
The most beginner-friendly spot to go crabbing in Astoria from shore is the Recreation Center fishing pier. Here, you can set collapsible traps and crab pots from the end of the dock and pull them up as often as you want. I recommend coming here when the tide’s coming in. You might need to add a bit of weight to your traps if the current’s rough, but it usually isn’t too bad here.
Seafarer’s Park Boat Ramp (by Boat)
It’s a bit outside of Astoria, but much closer to the Pacific and perfect for crab snaring. When conditions are safe, it’s a great opportunity to go crabbing off the Jetties at Seafarer’s park. You can also launch a boat here to go crabbing in the Columbia Estuary.
Shirley Catch Guide Service Astoria OR (Crabbing Charter)
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This fishing and crabbing charter is run by Captain Zachary Shirley, who currently has 8 years of experience as a charter captain catching Salmon, Sturgeon, Rainbow Trout, and Dungeness Crabs. I can’t stress enough the importance of having a crabbing expert at your side, such as Captain Zach, while crabbing. You’ll gain so much insight to the sport and take home dozens of Dungeness Crabs while you’re at it.
Other Spots
There are plenty of other Oregon coastal towns I’d love to write about, but there is such a thing as too many crabbing spots in one post! I found a few other spots I consider worth sharing.
Weber’s Pier (Bandon, Oregon)
Weber’s pier comes with a boat ramp and plenty of parking. You can pull your vehicle up to the dock, and set collapsible traps from the dock. There is also a boat dock where you can set traps, just as long as there isn’t a boat looking to dock or launch.
Parking is free at Weber’s Pier, which not only gives you parking close to a great crabbing spot, but it also parks you in the middle of the town of Bandon. You are just a block away from local restaurants and shops. This spot has well-kept public restrooms with running water.
Dock of the Bay Marina on the Alsea River (Waldport, Oregon)
The best spot to go Crabbing in Walport is the Dock of the Bay Marina at the Port of Alsea. People come here to go crabbing with nets from the dock, or from a boat they rent from the Marina. Boat rentals come with all the crabbing gear you need, and they’ll even cook your crabs!
