California will open the recreational Dungeness crab season Nov. 7, 2026, with new restrictions aimed at protecting humpback whales, but will delay the season in a portion of Northern California due to dangerous levels of a naturally occurring neurotoxin.
Recreational crab trap use will be restricted from the California-Oregon border to Point Conception through at least Jan. 1, 2027, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife announced. The restriction responds to multiple confirmed entanglements of humpback whales with fishing gear this year and the high abundance of whales in fishing areas.
The recreational fishery will remain closed from Cape Mendocino to the Ten Mile State Marine Reserve (northern Mendocino and southern Humboldt counties) until state health officials determine that domoic acid no longer poses a public health risk. Crabs collected north of Fort Bragg were found with unhealthy levels of the toxin.
Domoic acid is a neurotoxin produced by Pseudo-nitzschia, a naturally occurring marine alga that blooms under certain ocean conditions. At low levels, it can cause nausea, diarrhea and dizziness in humans. At higher levels, it can cause persistent short-term memory loss, seizures and, in some cases, be fatal.
Anglers may still use hoop nets and crab snares, though all hoop nets must be serviced every two hours and cannot be left unattended longer. The state has issued a fleet advisory recommending that crabbers avoid setting any gear in areas where whales are present.
The commercial Dungeness crab fishery is also delayed from the California-Oregon border to Point Conception until at least Jan. 1, 2027. The delay allows whales to migrate out of California waters before the commercial season opens. "CDFW remains committed to working collaboratively with all sectors across California to protect whale and turtles from entanglements in fishing gear," said Department of Fish and Wildlife Director Meghan Hertel.
The department expects to conduct a risk assessment in mid-December to determine whether the commercial season can open and whether recreational trap restrictions can be lifted.