AUSTIN —This February marks 20 years for the Texas Abandoned Crab Trap Removal Program. Every year countless volunteers spend 10 days on the water searching the Texas bays and shorelines for abandoned crab traps. When left in the water, these crab traps foul shrimpers’ nets, snag anglers’ lines, “ghost fish,” and create unsightly views. To date, they’ve hauled off more than 40,000 of these derelict traps.

From Friday, Feb. 18 — Sunday, Feb. 27, Texas coastal waters will be closed to crabbing with wire mesh crab traps to facilitate the annual volunteer crab trap cleanup. Any traps left in bays — including traps tied to docks — will be assumed abandoned and considered “litter” under state law. This allows volunteers to legally remove any crab traps they find.

As always, volunteers are needed to assist in the coast-wide effort to remove the numerous traps that have been lost or abandoned since last year’s cleanup.  To facilitate volunteer efforts, several sites along the coast will have clean-up events on Saturday, Feb. 19 from 8 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. These sites are denoted as “facilitated” in the list below. Registration with partner organizations may be required. Additionally, at all sites, dumpsters or collection areas marked with banners will be available to receive traps for the duration of the closure.  Volunteers may focus their efforts on Feb. 19 or work at their own pace anytime during the closure, but traps cannot be removed prior to Feb. 18 or after Feb. 27.

The Coastal Conservation Association Texas, Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program, Galveston Bay Foundation, San Antonio Bay Partnership, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are providing continued support to the crab trap removal program. Numerous other organizations and companies also are volunteering their services.

To participate, volunteers may pick up free tarps, gloves, and additional information at their local TPWD Coastal Fisheries field stations. TPWD requests that volunteers who remove traps record and submit information about the number of traps they collect as well as documenting any sightings of diamondback terrapins.

All other legal means of crabbing will not be affected during the closure period for wire crab traps. For more information, contact your local TPWD Coastal Fisheries office or Holly Grand at (361) 825-3993 or crabtrap@tpwd.texas.gov.

To learn more about the Texas Abandoned Crab Trap Removal Program’s history click on the link.

Images of previous abandoned crab trap clean ups can be found on the TPWD  Flickr page. Also available is a YouTube video produced by TPWD.

2022 Crab Trap Drop-Off Sites

SABINE LAKE – Local TPWD coordinator Carey Gelpi (409) 983-1104 (ext. 222)

Pleasure Island Marina Boat Ramp – Facilitated trap drop-off site

GALVESTON BAY – Local TPWD coordinator Christine Jensen (281) 534-0100

Jones Lake State Ramp (Fat Boys) — Non-facilitated trap drop-off site

Dickinson Bayou SH 146 Bridge Public Boat Ramp — Non-facilitated trap drop-off site

Fort Anahuac County Park Boat Ramp — Facilitated trap drop-off site. Register to volunteer at this site with the Galveston Bay Foundation.

Chocolate Bayou State Boat Ramp FM 2004 — Non-facilitated trap drop-off site

TPWD Dickinson Marine Lab — Non-facilitated trap drop-off site during business hours (M-F, 8am-5pm)

Stingaree Restaurant and Marina (Bolivar) — Facilitated trap drop-off site. Register to volunteer at this site with the Galveston Bay Foundation.

Christmas Bay boat ramp (at the end of Amigo Lane) – Facilitated by the Christmas Bay Foundation. Visit Christmas Bay Foundation’s site for more information about volunteering at this location.

MATAGORDA BAY– Local TPWD coordinator Leslie Hartman (361) 972-6253

Please visit San Antonio Bay Partnership’s site for more information about volunteering throughout the mid-coast.

Matagorda Harbor (Matagorda) – Non-facilitated trap drop-off site

Railroad Park (Palacios) – Non-facilitated trap drop-off site

West Mooring Boat Ramp (Sargent) – Non-facilitated trap drop-off site

SAN ANTONIO BAY – Local TPWD coordinator Kelly Kowal (361) 983-4425

Please visit San Antonio Bay Partnership’s site for more information about volunteering throughout the mid-coast.

Port O’Connor TPWD Docks — Facilitated trap drop-off site

Charlie’s Bait Stand — Non-facilitated trap drop-off site

Swan Point / Sanders Park Boat Ramp (Seadrift) – Non-facilitated trap drop-off site

Seadrift Marina – Non-facilitated trap drop-off site

Austwell Public Boat Ramp – Non-facilitated trap drop-off site 

ARANSAS BAY – Local TPWD coordinator Stephen Hale (361) 729-5429

Please visit San Antonio Bay Partnership’s site for more information about volunteering throughout the mid-coast.

Goose Island State Park Boat Ramp – Non-facilitated trap drop-off site

CORPUS CHRISTI BAY – Local TPWD coordinator Tom Wagner (361) 729-2328

South Conn Brown Harbor Public Ramp – Non-facilitated trap drop-off site

Ransom Channel Public Ramp – Non-facilitated trap drop-off site

UPPER LAGUNA MADRE – Local TPWD coordinator Faye Grubbs (361) 825-3353

Bluff’s Landing Marina – Non-facilitated and trap drop-off site

Kaufer-Hubert Memorial Boat Ramp – Non-facilitated trap drop-off site

LOWER LAGUNA MADRE – Local TPWD coordinator Jason Ferguson (956) 350- 4490

Port Mansfield Navigation District Ramp – Non-facilitated trap drop-off site

Adolfe Thomae County Park – Non-facilitated trap drop-off site