Summer crabbing season will start early in some areas of the state next week, but Whidbey Island crabbers can expect a July opening.

Crabbing in Marine Area 13, which is south of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, begins June 1. Most other areas of the Sound will open for recreational crab fishing July 2, although two areas around the San Juan Islands open later in summer to protect molting crab.

Recent test fisheries indicate that crab in southern Puget Sound are in hard-shell condition, allowing for an early start to the fishing season in that area, said Rich Childers, shellfish policy lead for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

“Sport crabbers in that area have fallen short of reaching their catch quota in recent years, so we can afford to give them more time to fish during the upcoming season,” Childers said. “Over the next couple of weeks we will continue to conduct test fisheries in Puget Sound, where we could open a few other areas to sport crabbing earlier than currently scheduled.”

Crabbers should check the department’s website for any announcements, Childers said.

Marine area 8-1, which encompasses Deception Pass to East Point, and area 8-2, which encompasses East Point to Possession Point, open July 2 through Sept. 7. Crabbing is allowed Thursdays through Mondays each week; closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Crab fishers may not set or pull shellfish gear from a vessel from one hour after official sunset to one hour before official sunrise. All shellfish gear must be removed from the water on closed days.

Childers reminds Puget Sound crabbers that they are required to record their harvest of Dungeness crab on their catch record cards immediately after retaining crab. Separate catch record cards are issued for the summer and winter seasons.

The daily limit for crab fishers throughout Puget Sound is five Dungeness crab, males only, in hard-shell condition with a minimum carapace width of six and one-fourth inches. Fishers may catch six red rock crab of either sex per day, provided those crab measure at least 5 inches across.

Seasons for the upcoming fishery are posted on WDFW’s crab fishing website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/shellfish/crab.