Crayfish in the PNW?

[Hal OPeridol]

Are ther any native crayfish in Western WA? Size? Usual habitat? Thanks

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[CountryGent]

There is a thread about fishing for this species here, in case it helps. I cannot say as to western Washington, but I am sure someone will known. Good luck.

 

[Reed]

Signal crayfish

wdfw.wa.gov

Yes, there is a species of native crayfish

 

[Mark W.]

We used to catch them all the time as kids in the local Stream that runs through town. Its a rocky bottom stream. They got maybe 6-7" long overall most were 4-5"

 

[Salps]

Buy a trap, long rope. Find a lake near you. Bait with fish, bacon or cat food. Fish it deep for 12 hours or less....

 

[Martini_Up]

Crawdads

Crayfish or crawdad? Mapping US dialect variations with R

I grew up in Australia, where I learned to speak English. Or so I thought: when I moved overseas to the UK, and especially when I moved to the States, I soon learned these are distinct cultures separated by a common language. Words which I previously had no context for being different anywhere...

blog.revolutionanalytics.com

 

[Stomper]

A few years ago I photographed this dude a short way downstream of Abiqua Falls (Oregon) ... he had to have been 5-6" long.... like a mini lobster.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Crawdad's are good eatin'...
We have 'em in Whatcom Creek and several other local creeks....not sure if they are native or not.

Most are in the 3 to 5 inch ( over all length ) range.
I've seen 'em mostly in shallow , running water...near larger rocks and debris....
Andy

 

[PBinWA]

I think I remember some friends saying they would snorkel in the Washougal River in the summer and get them. I might be full of bubblegum though.

 

[wewaits]

Yes there are but they are quite a bit bigger than the Louisiana delicacies, still really tasty with the right boil though. Tualatin has a crawfish festival every year just south of Portland. If you throw a trap in the water with either chicken pieces or pork you'll get some.

 

[Siglvr]

I've seen literally lobster sized crawdads 8-9" someone claimed were pulled from Detroit Reservoir, but anytime I've ever tossed a trap of caught them they are like little mini-me crawfish in comparison. 3 inches- 4" max. But a guy can dream.

 

[2A2Dend]

We use to catch them in the E.WA irrigation ditches by the 5 gallon buckets full.
During the summer months the traps had less, but the Fall and Winter months were plentiful.

 

[The Heretic]

Used to get them as kid in various creeks and drainage ditches. Put a piece of bacon on the end of a string and slowly pull them in. IIRC we did something similar at Scholls Ferry - but that was 60 years ago and my memory never was that good. I am sure the Tualatin has them though.

 

[Melmelhunter]

I have friends who catch crawfish in Friday creek.. over in Alger Wa.

 

[jrd541280]

We used to catch them alot below lower granite dam. Big ones, from the tip of your bird finger to your wrist. Kids loved them. Did the whole boil and dip in butter thing.
No more! WDFW let a comercial guy come into the Snake River below Lower Granite dam and fish crawdads commercialy. The river is filled with traps, thousands of them. Thanks WDFW for taking fishing away from kids.

 

[User 1234]

I've seen them in Northern Oregon. And Andy is right, the proper name is crawdad.

They make great bait for bass.

 

[jrd541280]

Bass will eat anything.

 

[User 1234]

Bass eat everything except whatever I am using that day!

 

[TorchRedTulsan]

I've seen them in Northern Oregon. And Andy is right, the proper name is crawdad.

They make great bait for bass.

What's your source for "proper"? They're regional terms for the same thing. Taxonomically, crayfish, crawfish, and crawdads are the same thing. There are lots of species, but they're all the same family and the species aren't differentiated by one of the names we're discussing

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Not arguing here...I understand that there are proper or correct names for things...
And yep regional names and terms are vastly different as well as fun to study.

But where I grew up if you said :
"Hey lets go get some crayfish ..."
Or
"How 'bout we catch some crawfish..."
You would be met with a blank stare and the question : " Huh , what are you talkin' bout...?"
Would be posed to you...
So at some times and places...the regional name or term , may be more proper...if ya want to be understood.

Crawdads they are and will remain , for me at least.
Andy