Crab Season Off to Slow Start in Essex-Middle River

April 1 was the start of crabbing season in Maryland, and it was a soft launch, to be sure.

"It's the official start of the Maryland crabbing season!" Lowers Crab Shack and Fish Market posted on Facebook. "Now hoping for the weather to warm up so that we can catch those Maryland crabs!"

Crabbers don't typically get a large yield until the water temperature reaches 58 degrees, according to The Baltimore Sun.

The temperature at Wilson Point averaged 42 degrees last month, according to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.

As of April 1, water temperatures in the Baltimore area were about 46 degrees, the National Oceanographic Data Center reported.

The crabbing season is likely to get more productive in late April into May, according to the Maryland Gazette.