Red Rock Crab Fishing in BC

Red Rock Crab fishing in British Columbia

Red rock crab are the smaller, hard-shelled crab of rocky and mixed bottoms, taken in the same traps as Dungeness and often under a more generous limit with both sexes retainable. The exact daily limit and any size rule are in the table below.

Red Rock Crab closures in effect today (September 16, 2026)

47 closures affecting Red Rock Crab are in effect. A closure overrides the area-wide limit wherever the two overlap.

Area 1 — G̱aw Ḵáahlii (Masset Inlet) Marine Refuge (no end date given)
Area 2 — Gwaii Haanas - Burnaby Narrows (year round)
Area 2 — Gwaii Haanas - Cape Saint James (year round)
Area 2 — Gwaii Haanas - Flamingo Estuary (year round)
Area 2 — Gwaii Haanas - Gowgaia Estuary (year round)
Area 2 — Gwaii Haanas - Louscoone Estuary (year round)
Area 2 — Gwaii Haanas - SGang Gwaay (year round)
Area 2 — X̲aana K̲aahlii (Skidegate Inlet) Marine Refuge (no end date given)
Area 7 — Bottleneck Inlet (year round)
Area 7 — Bullock Channel (Jun 1 – Sep 30)

… and 37 more — see the area pages linked below.

Red Rock Crab limits and size by DFO area

Recreational tidal-water limits for Red Rock Crab, by DFO Pacific area. An area can list more than one row where the rules split by species group or subarea — read the Species column so a 0 (non-retention) is never mistaken for the neighbouring row. Confirm on the DFO page before fishing.
Area	Species	Subareas	Min size	Daily limit	Status
Area 1	Crab - Red Rock	1,101	115mm	6	Open
Area 2	Crab - Red Rock	2,102,130,142	115mm	6	Open
Area 4	Crab - Red Rock	4,104	115mm	6	Open
Area 7	Crab - Red Rock	7,107	115mm	6	Open
Area 8	Crab - Red Rock	8,108	115mm	6	Open
Area 13	Crab - Red Rock	13-1 to 13-4 and 13-6 to 13-43	115mm	4	Open
	Crab - Red Rock	13-5	—	0	Closed
Area 14	Crab - Red Rock	14	115mm	4	Open
Area 15	Crab - Red Rock	15	115mm	4	Open
Area 16	Crab - Red Rock	16	115mm	4	Open
Area 17	Crab - Red Rock	17	115mm	4	Open
Area 18	Crab - Red Rock	18	115mm	4	Open
Area 19	Crab - Red Rock	19	115mm	4	Open
Area 20	Crab - Red Rock	20	115mm	4	Open
Area 23	Crab - Red Rock	23,123	115mm	6	Open
Area 24	Crab - Red Rock	24,124	115mm	6	Open
Area 28	Crab - Red Rock	28-1 to 28-7,28-9 and 28-11 to 28-14	115mm	4	Open
	Crab - Red Rock	28-8,28-10	—	0	Closed
Area 29	Crab - Red Rock	29	115mm	4	Open

Read from DFO’s per-area recreational fishing pages and refreshed daily. Openings change in-season and subarea boundaries are set by coordinates, so this is a reading of DFO’s pages, not a substitute for them. Check the Fishery Notices for changes newer than the update dates, and always confirm on DFO before fishing.

Plan a Red Rock Crab trip

Pick calm water first: see which areas are fishable tomorrow or this weekend, or open any fishing area for its live wind, waves, tides and hourly fishing score. The full rules for a place are on its area regulations page.

Red Rock Crab fishing in British Columbia

Red Rock Crab closures in effect today (September 16, 2026)

Red Rock Crab limits and size by DFO area

Plan a Red Rock Crab trip

Other species