I provide this Oregon crabbing report from my trips near Astoria, Hammond, and the mouth of the Columbia River. My boat is moored at Hammond Marina during the lower Columbia River season. I also offer fall crabbing trips in Tillamook Bay when I am fishing out of Garibaldi.
The newest report below is based on my own crabbing over the last couple of days. I also keep my older reports on this page so you can see how the crabbing and crab quality have changed through previous fall seasons.
Before crabbing, check the current Oregon crabbing regulations and Oregon shellfish safety closures.
For more photos and short updates, follow the Marvin’s Guide Service Facebook page.
Want to go crabbing? Call or text me at 503-314-5087, email fast2fish@msn.com, or send a crabbing trip inquiry online.
My Latest Oregon Crabbing Report
Thursday, September 24, 2026
Crabbing near Astoria and Hammond has improved a lot over the last couple of days. I have been out crabbing, and we have been averaging approximately 8 to 10 legal Dungeness crab per pot. That is a big improvement from what I was seeing earlier in September.
The crab are also starting to fill out with more meat. We are still seeing a few soft shells, but the majority of the crab now have nice, hard shells. The catch and the quality are both moving in the right direction.
I expect crabbing to continue improving over the next few weeks as we move into October and November. Conditions can change from trip to trip, but I am encouraged by what I have been seeing in my pots lately.
During September, we can combine Dungeness crabbing with lower Columbia River salmon fishing when conditions and regulations allow. We set the crab pots, fish while they soak, and pull them on our way back to Hammond Marina.
I am also booking dedicated crabbing trips for October and November. The top will be on my 27-foot Alumaweld guide boat and the heater will be running for those fall trips. That makes it a comfortable way to get out crabbing as the weather cools down.
Call or text me at 503-314-5087 or ask about an October or November crabbing date.
Learn more about my Astoria and Oregon Coast crabbing trips. You can also read my Buoy 10 fishing report for recent salmon trip reports.
Earlier 2026 Oregon Crabbing Reports
The entries below describe conditions on their stated dates. Use the September 24 report above for my newest firsthand crabbing observations.
Wednesday, September 9, 2026
For the last several days, we have been combining Dungeness crabbing with our salmon fishing trips in the Astoria area.
We dropped three crab pots near the lighthouse on a couple of those days. There were plenty of crab in the pots, although many were females that had to be released. We still managed to bring home approximately eight to 12 legal male keepers with three pots.
At the time of this report, the crab were probably about 40% full of meat. Their quality was beginning to improve as we moved farther into September.
Today we moved our pots near Social Security Beach. We found fewer females and saw more male crab in the pots.
I would not have called the crabbing excellent on September 9, but it was picking up. My newer September 24 report above shows how much the catch and shell quality have improved since then.
During September, we have been combining crabbing with Astoria-area salmon fishing when conditions allow. We set the crab pots, let them soak while we fish, and pull them before returning to Hammond Marina.
For more on the area, visit my Astoria fishing guide page, Buoy 10 fishing report, and Hammond fishing guide page.
Wednesday, September 2, 2026
There were plenty of Dungeness crab in the lower Columbia River near Astoria and Hammond. The crab were slowly starting to fill out with more meat, and I expected their quality to improve farther into fall.
Coho fishing was also productive around Hammond and above the Astoria-Megler Bridge. We encountered plenty of coho, including fish averaging approximately 10 to 15 pounds, although we had to release wild coho while looking for hatchery keepers.
Under the rules announced at the time, all Chinook had to be released at Buoy 10 beginning September 3. ODFW later added a separate September 26–27 Chinook retention opportunity. Salmon rules vary by date and river section, so check the current ODFW regulation updates before any salmon-and-crab trip.
On a combination trip, we can set the crab pots and let them soak while we fish for salmon. Then we return to the crab gear and pull the pots before heading back to Hammond Marina.
These September trips use my 27-foot Alumaweld Intruder. The boat, rods, reels, salmon tackle, crab pots, bait, measuring equipment, and required safety gear are provided.
Learn more about my guided Dungeness crabbing trips and Buoy 10 salmon fishing trips.
2024 Oregon Crabbing Reports
These reports are from the 2024 season.
Thursday, December 5, 2024
Crabbing remained excellent in the Columbia River estuary, even though the water had been on the rough side. The crab were probably about 90% full, which was excellent. I had been crabbing along Social Security Beach.
Monday, November 25, 2024
Even on windy days, crabbing had been amazing. I was out with clients three days in a row, and we returned to the docks with easy limits every day. The crab were near their peak quality.
Friday, November 8, 2024
Today the crabbing was amazing. We had five limits and were back at the docks in Hammond by 8:30 a.m.
Crabbing remained excellent even when it was rainy in the estuary. We had some rough days when it was windy, but we still caught lots of crab. The crab were probably 70–80% full at this point and were very good eating.
On rougher days, most of my crabbing was off Social Security Beach. When it was calm, I also liked to crab near the lighthouse area.
Saturday, November 2, 2024
Even with freshwater coming down the Columbia River, crabbing was still excellent. We had to get a little farther downriver and closer to the salt for the best crabbing. We got our four limits wrapped up in about three hours.
Saturday, October 26, 2024
Limits of Dungeness crab pulled from the Columbia River estuary with Marvin’s Guide Service.
I was back in Warrenton dropping crab pots into the Columbia River estuary, and the crabbing was beyond excellent.
My clients got four limits of a dozen fresh Dungeness crab per limit within an hour. Fall was prime crabbing time in the estuary, as it was in several estuaries up and down the Oregon Coast.
2023 Oregon Crabbing Reports
These reports are from the 2023 season.
Wednesday, November 29, 2023
My clients continued to catch easy limits of Dungeness crab on trips near Astoria. Windy conditions made the job tougher, but the crab cooperated.
I heard that crabbing was also very good in Tillamook Bay and several other Oregon bays during dry weather. Rainfall can reduce success in smaller coastal bays with lots of freshwater flow. The lower Columbia River is a much larger watershed and is less likely to be affected as quickly by localized fall rain.
I had the cover on my boat and the heater running. Strong wind was the main issue that kept us off the water when conditions turned nasty, and I always put safety first.
Saturday, November 11, 2023
Happy Veterans Day, everyone!
I continued offering crabbing trips in the Columbia River estuary near Astoria and Hammond, and catch rates were excellent.
It was November in the Northwest, so we had cool, rainy weather and sometimes some chop. I had the cover on my boat and the heater going to keep clients as comfortable as possible.
Down the coast, crabbing varied from fair to good in most bays. Some were more affected by heavy rain than the Columbia estuary. When freshwater flushed smaller bays, the lower Columbia River near Hammond and Netarts Bay could be good choices for boat crabbers.
Full traps like the one in the photo below were common that November.
Full crab traps like this are common when I take clients crabbing near Astoria in November.
Saturday, October 28, 2023
Crabbing was excellent in the lower Columbia River estuary near Astoria and Hammond. I had a group out, and everybody got limits of crab.
While the pots soaked, we fished for sea bass and caught a nice greenling. Fishing was good until the wind picked up.
A client shows off two rockfish and a keeper Dungeness crab caught near Astoria with Marvin’s Guide Service.
Saturday, October 21, 2023
While I fished upriver, friends who were crabbing near Hammond reported amazing results, with full pots and limits after a few hours of soaking.
Wednesday, October 18, 2023
While I continued offering salmon trips near Hood River, buddies crabbing near Hammond caught four limits in about two hours. A friend said the Dungeness crab were starting to be about 80% full of meat, which made November look promising.
Heavy rain can flush smaller coastal bays with freshwater and move crab toward saltier water. The lower Columbia River is less likely to be affected as quickly by local fall rain.
Tuesday, October 10, 2023
My friends crabbing at the mouth of the Columbia just west of Astoria reported excellent crabbing. Tillamook Bay and other Oregon estuaries were also producing, although heavy rain could slow success in smaller bays with coastal rivers flowing into them.
Saturday, September 30, 2023
Crabbing was excellent in the Buoy 10 area near Astoria. My clients pulled in 50 keepers, and the lighthouse area was where we filled our pots.
Recent rainfall slowed crabbing in some other estuaries, including Newport and Waldport. Crab often move toward saltier water when freshwater flows increase. The lower Columbia River typically responds less quickly to localized fall rain because it drains such a large area. Netarts Bay, which does not have a large river flowing into it, can also remain salty during rainy periods.
Tuesday, September 19, 2023
Crabbing continued to be good when we set pots while fishing for salmon in the lower Columbia River estuary. The Social Security Beach area produced plenty of keepers.
Thursday, September 14, 2023
Crabbing in the Columbia River estuary was excellent, especially around Social Security Beach. We also heard good reports from Netarts Bay and other Oregon bays.
Sunday, September 10, 2023
We set crab pots in the river and let them soak while we caught coho. When we pulled them, we found a dozen keepers. Crabbing looked likely to improve as fall continued.
Friday, September 8, 2023
We dropped a couple of crab pots in the ocean while fishing for salmon off the mouth of the Columbia River. After catching our salmon, we pulled the pots and found 25 legal crab.
Across the Oregon Coast, Dungeness crab were filling out after their summer molt. ODFW also noted good crabbing off Depoe Bay, Newport, and Waldport at the time.
Crabbing with Marvin’s Guide Service is a fun trip for families.
Book an Astoria Crabbing Trip
Crabbing has improved, and I am booking October and November trips. On my latest September outings, we averaged approximately 8 to 10 legal crab per pot. Most of the crab had hard shells, although a few were still soft. I expect crab quality to continue improving as fall goes on.
Dedicated fall crabbing trips depart from the Hammond area when conditions allow. The top will be on my 27-foot Alumaweld guide boat and the heater will be running for October and November trips. Salmon-and-crab combination trips may also be available when fishing conditions and regulations allow.
Call or text Marvin at 503-314-5087, email fast2fish@msn.com, or send a crabbing trip inquiry online.
For charter details, visit my Oregon Coast crabbing trips page.
