If you go crabbing in Seattle, you know all public fishing piers aren’t created equal. Some are just flat out better than others. If you’re not having any success in Seattle, it might be worth your while to try crabbing at Kayak Point Regional Park in Stanwood.

Crabbing at Kayak Point Regional Park
Crabbing at Kayak Point Regional Park

Yes, Kayak Point Regional Park is a bit of a drive (about an hour from Seattle), but my mom and I really enjoyed our experience there recently. First off, the scenery is nice. When you’re sitting around waiting to pull up your pots, there’s plenty to look at. That’s always a nice bonus. Some people even toss their crab pots, go hang out in the park, and then come back to pull their pots up. Please note, you need to purchase a $7 day use pass to enter Kayak Point Regional Park.

Driving directions from Seattle: Take I-5 north to Exit 199 in Marysville. Turn left on Marine Drive and follow that for 13 miles. You’ll eventually run into Kayak Point Regional Park on your left.

Crabbing | Kayak Point Regional Park
Me with two of our three keeper Dungeness crab

I haven’t had nearly as much success crabbing in Seattle than I did crabbing at Kayak Point Regional Park. I pulled up pot after pot filled with Dungeness crab (using salmon backs as bait). In one pot alone (that I let soak for about an hour), I pulled up ten crab. In the end, I brought home three Dungeness crab keepers for dinner. Up until this, I had only reeled in red rock crab from Shilshole Bay.

Crabbing | Kayak Point Regional Park
Dinner is served!

I was lucky enough to try crabbing at Kayak Point during the week. It wasn’t too busy, and the people were extremely friendly. I guess it’s a much different scene on the weekends. Apparently, the public fishing pier can get overcrowded. Also, weekday or weekend, it sounds like people line up at the park gate before it opens to get the prime locations on the pier. With that said, I didn’t have one of the “prime spots,” and we still pulled up enough crab for dinner.

Crabbing Kayak Point
A full meal we grew and caught ourselves

There’s nothing like catching your own dinner. I’m not a hunter and I don’t go fishing (very often), so this is my only chance to do something like that. This meal was especially cool, though. Tove and I grew and caught every single thing we ate that night. The crab we pulled from Kayak Point Regional Park, and the veggies we planted, grew, and harvested at our mini-plot at First Light Farm in Carnation. It was a really rewarding meal!

Have you ever tried crabbing at Kayak Point? How was your experience? We’d love to hear from you! Please leave a comment below or connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Don’t forget to also check out Seattle Bloggers for more great places to visit around the Emerald City!