Celebrate Valentine’s Day and American Heart Health Month with locally caught coastal Dungeness crab
Sustainable Dungeness crab fishery management keeps this popular Pacific Northwest seafood on tables nearly year-round
This is a special month when it comes to all things related to a strong heart, whether it’s for your own well-being or a gift for that someone special in your life.
February is American Heart Health Month, and this a time when the key to a happy heart is to take on ways to advocate cardiovascular health. One way Washingtonians can do that is by considering healthy food choices, such as Washington-harvested seafood like Dungeness crab, a popular, nutritious delicacy right from the “heart” of our local marine waterways.
Did you know that Washington’s commercial crab fisheries are sustainably managed, and provide locally harvested fresh Dungeness crab throughout most of the year? The commercial coastal winter fishing season off the Washington coast recently got underway, with fresh, commercially caught Dungeness crab now available at dockside and in many retail markets and seafood vendors and restaurants across the state. The coast is also open right now for recreational crab fishing.
Whether you’re enjoying crab you’ve harvested yourself or are making plans to visit a local market or seafood vendor, rest assured that Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) fishery managers are working hard to support sustainable seafood management that all Washingtonians can trust.
Each fall and early winter, WDFW uses extensive monitoring near Westport and Long Beach to ensure sustainable, ecologically resilient Dungeness crab populations. Pre-season and in-season testing, includes measuring crab shell size, hardness, and other data points, including the presence of marine toxins, to help get a better understanding of the health and abundance of the Dungeness crab population.
Dungeness crab is relatively abundant in most marine waterways of Washington at select times of the year, and this hard-shelled crustacean is fished from the Aleutian Islands south to Mexico.
Good for your heart — and the economy
Dungeness crab support Washington’s most valuable commercial fishery. The value of state landings for the 2024–2025 coastal commercial Dungeness crab season was $83.3 million, surpassed only by a record $88.2 million set during the 2021–2022 season. There are around 228 Washington coastal commercial Dungeness crab license holders with approximately 200 who are active participants in this highly competitive fishery.
Find locally harvested Dungeness crab at a market or dockside in your neighborhood
Learn where to buy Washington seafood by going to this weblink. Be sure to check out some of our favorite recipes from our friends at Seafood Nutrition Partnership and Washington Sea Grant, which has a suite of seafood recipes on their new Discover West Coast Seafood website. Find Washington seafood near you with the help of Local Catch, a network of supported fisheries and small-scale harvesters.
Whole Washington Dungeness Crab
Ingredients
Four cooked Washington Dungeness crab, averaging around two pounds each
One tablespoon of kosher salt
One cup or two sticks (equal to eight fluid ounces) of salted butter
One teaspoon of seafood seasoning
One lemon, juiced
1/2 cup of ketchup
One to two teaspoons of prepared horseradish
Fresh dill and parsley for garnish
Sliced lemon and limes
Directions
1: Bring a large stockpot of water to a boil; season with one tablespoon of kosher salt.
2: Once boiling, remove from heat. Immerse two Washington-harvested Dungeness crabs into water for five to 10 minutes until they are warmed through.
3: Remove crabs from water and set aside to drain.
4: Bring water to a boil again and repeat with remaining Washington Dungeness crabs.
5: Clean, cooked crabs while the others are cooking in the hot water.
6: Serve on a platter with fresh dill leaves, parsley, and sliced lemons and limes.
Optional sauce
1: In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter.
2: Reduce the heat to low and skim the foam from the butter.
3: Stir in the seafood seasoning and the lemon juice.
4: In a small bowl, mix the ketchup with the prepared horseradish.
5: Serve the flavored butter alongside cocktail sauce.
Baked Crab Cakes
Courtesy of Washington Sea Grant
Ingredients:
One pound crab meat
One red bell pepper diced
One to two large tablespoons Dijon mustard
One to two large tablespoons mayonnaise
One tablespoon lemon juice (and a bit of zest)
Black pepper to taste
Two to three eggs
One cup panko breadcrumbs (might need more to be able to form mixture into rounds)
Directions
1: Mix crab, red pepper, mustard, mayo, lemon juice, black pepper and two eggs in a large bowl.
2: Add one cup panko and mix. Check consistency. Add more egg or panko until you can form cakes.
3: Place cakes on parchment paper on a cookie sheet, Bake at 375 for 15 minutes or when brown on top. Flip and bake another 15 minutes.
4: Can be served with a sauce made with ketchup, mayo, lemon or lime juice and horse radish.
Visit WDFW’s Commercial Dungeness Crab Fishery web page and the recreational crab fishing webpage to learn more. Refer to our 2025–26 Washington Coastal Dungeness Crab Fishery Newsletter (PDF) for more information on the winter season and a recap of last season.
