Blue Crab in New York
Finding blue crab, keeping them legally, and the record.
- 50; Hard crab 4 1/2"limit
Angler pickPiscifun Viper X spinning reel50% OFFSale $39.99 Photo of Montauk: Mike Peel ( www.mikepeel.net ), CC BY-SA 4.0
blue crab across New York: rules, record and water
For DEC purposes blue crab is marine, and its rules sit in 2 rule tables. In hudson river and tributaries the keeper rule reads 50; hard crab 4 1/2″; soft shell 3 1/2″; peeler 3″ (carapace width), open open all year.
DEC record and stocking lists both pass it by.
DEC sizes and seasons for blue crab
| Rule table | Where | Limit | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tidal Hudson River | Hudson River and tributaries | 50; Hard crab 4 1/2"; soft shell 3 1/2"; peeler 3" (carapace width) | open all year |
| Marine and Coastal District | Marine and Coastal District | 50 (combined crabs); Hard 4 1/2"; soft 3 1/2"; peeler 3" | All year |
DEC saltwater regulations page (NYS Department of Environmental Conservation), read October 24, 2026; figures checked twice on October 25, 2026.
Species that share a category with blue crab
- Summer Floundermarine
- Winter Floundermarine
- Black Sea Bassmarine
- Scupmarine
- Tautogmarine
- Bluefishmarine
- Weakfishmarine
- Atlantic Codmarine
- Pollockmarine
Empire State water close to Blue Crab, in pictures
Photo: See1,Do1,Teach1, CC BY 2.0
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Photo: Googoo85, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Andre Carrotflower, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: bobistraveling, CC BY 2.0
Blue crab from the Adirondacks to Long Island: answers
Which DEC row sets the blue crab limit?
50; Hard crab 4 1/2"; soft shell 3 1/2"; peeler 3" (carapace width) under hudson river and tributaries, season open all year; other tables set their own figures.
When was the New York blue crab record set?
DEC lists no record for it.
Where in New York do blue crab turn up most?
Water pages here do not include it so far.
Does DEC stock blue crab?
No stocking row names it.
Is blue crab a freshwater or a marine fish in New York?
Marine on the DEC list.
Is the New York blue crab season open now?
open all year under hudson river and tributaries.
Which New York license should a blue crab angler buy?
Anglers 16 and older who fish for saltwater species, or for migratory fish of the sea, enroll in the free DEC Recreational Marine Fishing Registry instead of buying a license; freshwater fishing takes the DEC license ($25.00 resident, $50.00 nonresident).
Which DEC page covers blue crab?
From the 2026 DEC regulation pages and the state record table, read October 24, 2026 and checked again October 25, 2026.
Target blue crab this season
Each water listed above has launches, species and limits on its own page.