Southeast Alaska Personal Use Tanner Crab Fishery
Permits & Regulations

Southeast Alaska Personal Use Tanner Crab Fishery

This fishery is managed by emergency order, the fishery may not open, or may close at any time, or the bag limits may be reduced at any time.  Always check with your local ADF&G office before going crabbing.

Remember that all Shellfish may be exposed to the algae that causes Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning. For more information, see the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning document (PDF - ADEC) .

Remember, bag, possession, and pot limits for shellfish allowed under personal use MAY NOT be added to bag, possession, and pot limits under sport or subsistence fishing regulations.

A permit is not required.

Tanner crab may be taken only from July 1 through June 15.

The daily bag and possession limit is 30 male Tanner crab;

Only male Tanner crab 5.5 inches or greater in width of shell may be taken or possessed,
male Tanner crab less than the minimum legal size and female Tanner crab that have been taken must be immediately returned to the water unharmed.

No more than four pots per vessel may be used to take Tanner crab; a pot used to take Tanner crab under this section must have at least two circular escape rings on opposing vertical or sloping sides of the pot that each are not less than four and three-quarter inches inside diameter.

All pots to take shellfish must be plainly and legibly labelled with the angler’s first initial, last name, home address, and the name or the Division of Motor Vehicles registration number (AK number) of the vessel used to operate the pot on a keg or buoy attached to each pot.

You may not utilize a live holding facility to accumulate or pool multiple bag limits.

All pots used must meet the following gear requirements.