photo credit: Jacob Resneck
A tote full of freshly caught live crabs sits on the dock of The Tides Wharf in Bodega Bay on Jan. 12, 2026.

Sonoma County's first fresh Dungeness crab has begun landing in Bodega Bay. 

As the first boats return to Bodega Bay at dawn Monday, totes of live crab are hoisted onto the dock for the waiting processor to be steamed. 

These early runs are usually bountiful, so fishing crew say it’s too soon to tell what kind of season 2026 will be.

Asked how the fishing’s been so far, crabbers told KRCB News, “We don’t really know yet…it’s good so far.”

California’s crab fleet has been forced by buyers to make its first landings without knowing how much they’re getting per pound. That caused an initial delay when vessels went on strike in protest a week ago before agreeing to fish on faith over the weekend.

Peter Repanich, skipper of the vessel Sockeye Summer, said the lack of processors in California has pushed many of the buyers up to Oregon and Washington, meaning less paid at the dock as the crab has to travel.

“Our whole fishing economy now is on wheels, going out of state, …there's no more processors in California, except for Anthony’s [Seafood of Bodega Bay] here and Pier 45—that's it for cooking crabs,” Repanich said.

Dick Ogg, skipper of the Karen Jeanne and president of the Bodega Bay Fisherman’s Marketing Association, said the first run Monday morning was good.

“It's…how long does it hold out?” Ogg said.

Ogg said fishing without a formal price isn’t ideal. But the fleet here has been assured they’ll be paid at least as much as crabbers in Oregon.

“I'm optimistic that it will be the same or more,” Ogg said. 

Calm weather is forecast ahead. That’s good news for the fleet after holiday storms wreaked havoc across the North Coast, even triggering a sewage spill in Guerneville that closed Sonoma County beaches.

But state public health has lifted those advisories and officials say the spill won’t pose any risk of contamination to crabs…which are on the move and further offshore.