Alaska Crab Fishing Seasons

Regulations have been put into place to make sure the populations of Alaskan crab remain at healthy levels and that there are enough crab at the end of the season to replenish populations for the following October when crabbers return to the Bering Sea.

The crabbing industry operates under a quota system. Under the quota system each boat is given an IFQ or Individual Fishing Quota, which identifies the amount of crab that can be caught for each boat.

The opening date for each crab season is slightly different; however, most crabbing seasons are open from October 15 through February.

Remember from a couple of pages back that there are several different types of crabs that can be produced out of Alaska: King Crab, Tanner Crab and Dungeness Crab. It doesn’t hurt to study up on the different species of crab, to learn when and where they’re harvested and processed. The more you know the better off you may be in a crab fishing job interview.