Spot prawn’s brief season is open. Here’s where to fish or buy the delicacy in Bellingham
Recreational shrimp fishing season will be open Wednesday, May 25, through Saturday, May 28, and from June 9-11, the Port of Bellingham announced on its Facebook page. Other open fishing dates depend on the quota of prawns and shrimp remaining.
Prawns and shrimp are a delicacy in the Pacific Northwest, including spot prawns.
Spot prawns are the largest shrimp on the west coast of North America from Alaska down to San Diego, and can also be found in the Puget Sound. Spot shrimp can grow over nine inches including their antennae, according to The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
In Bellingham, prawns can be purchased during their prime season at the Bellingham Dockside Fish Market at the Port of Bellingham.
The Bellingham Dockside Fish Market allows local fishermen to sell their catch directly from their boat, providing freshly caught shrimp, halibut, salmon, scallops and cod depending on the seasons.
In order to know what fish will be at the market on a given Saturday, check on The Bellingham Dockside Fish Market’s Facebook page prior to the market.
The market is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the first and third Saturdays of the month, but spot prawns are only still in season for a short period of time. The Bellingham Dockside Fish Market is located at Squalicum Harbor at Gates 5 and 7, near 722 Coho Way.
On Saturday, May 21, the market was full of prawns and shrimp from a local fishing company, Big Shrimp’n Bellingham. Big Shrimp’n Bellingham sold out of prawns in less than three hours in May’s first market.
With the high demand for shrimp and prawns, it can be difficult finding them at local markets.
Spot shrimp are most commonly found in the San Juan Islands, northern and central Puget Sound and the Hood Canal.
Shrimping rules and regulations vary by location, such as daily catching limits and shrimp pot mesh size.
For the most recent shrimping updates, closures and restrictions, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s website is continually updated, and provides a shellfish rule change hotline at 866-880-5431.
