Recreational Spot Shrimping Returns To Puget Sound In May

WASHINGTON — The recreational spot shrimping season will begin in a little over a month, welcoming anglers back to catch prawns within several popular marine areas across Puget Sound. This year, shrimpers with a valid license will be welcome to catch up to 80 prawns per day, starting on May 25.

Specific dates and permitted times will vary by location, and some areas will remain closed or see reduced hours due to overharvesting in previous seasons, according to the state Department of Fish and Wildlife. The department could announce more dates after the initial run if there is still room in the annual quotas.

"The selected dates reflect a conscious effort to offer opportunities to harvest while keeping participants distributed and reducing the chance of exceeding recreational quotas," said Katelyn Bosley, WDFW's Puget Sound crustacean biologist.

Discovery Bay and the Hood Canal are among the marine areas that will see limited hours this year, and Seattle's Elliott Bay will be fully closed. Last season, state officials limited Elliott Bay to three shrimping hours per day, but overharvesting continued to be an issue.

"Elliott Bay is a productive shrimping ground that sees a lot of participation each year," Bosley said. "Following several years of harvest overages and resulting quota reductions, keeping the fishery closed in Elliott Bay should allow us to open next year with a full quota allotment."

Here is the schedule for the 2022 Puget Sound recreational spot shrimp season, per the WDFW:

• Marine Area 4 east of the Bonilla-Tatoosh line and Marine Area 5 (western Strait of Juan de Fuca): Open May 25 each day until further notice for all shrimp species. Daylight hours only.
• Marine Area 6 (Port Angeles Harbor, eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca, excluding the Discovery Bay Shrimp District): Open May 25-28, June 9-11, June 23-25, July 7-9, and July 21-23. Daylight hours.
• Marine Area 6 (Discovery Bay Shrimp District): Open on May 25 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. only.
• Marine Area 7 South (Iceberg Point, Point Colville, Biz Point, Salmon Bank) and Marine Area 7 East (northern Rosario Strait, Bellingham Bay, Sucia and Matia islands, Strait of Georgia): Open May 25-28 and June 9-11. Daylight hours.
• Marine Area 7 West (San Juan Channel, Speiden Channel, Stuart, and Waldron islands): Open May 25-28, June 9-11, June 23-25, and July 7-9. Daylight hours.
• Marine Areas 8-1 (Saratoga Passage, Deception Pass) and 8-2 (Port Susan, Port Gardner, Everett): Open on May 25 and June 9 from 8 a.m. to noon only. Note: Divers may take shrimp by hand or hand-held device from 7 p.m. until midnight on May 25 and June 9 in Marine Area 8-2.
• Marine Area 9 (Edmonds, Port Townsend Bay, Admiralty Inlet): Open on May 25 from 8 a.m. to noon only.
• Marine Area 10 (Elliott Bay): Will remain closed for 2022 (this is the portion of Marine Area 10 east of a line from West Point to Alki Point).
• Marine Area 10 (outside Elliott Bay): Open May 25 from 8 a.m. to noon (this is the portion of Marine Area 10 west of a line from West Point to Alki Point).
• Marine Area 11 (Tacoma-Vashon Island): Open May 25 from 8 a.m. to noon.
• Marine Area 12 (Hood Canal Shrimp District): Open on May 25, May 28, June 9, and June 23 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. only.
• Marine Area 13 (South Puget Sound, Carr Inlet): Closed for spot shrimp harvest this season due to continued low abundance.

In the open areas, anglers a limited to 80 spot shrimp per day. The daily weight limit is 10 pounds, which includes all species: spot, dock, coonstripe, and pink shrimp.

All shrimpers ages 15 and older must have a valid and current combination license, shellfish license, or Fish Washington license to participate, which can be purchased online. Wildlife officials also remind participants to "Be Whale Wise," and keep vessels at least 300 yards from orcas and 400 yards out of their path. The law also requires vessels to slow to seven knots within a half-mile of Southern Residents.

Learn more about this year's spot shrimp season on the WDFW website.