I live in Pierce County if that helps. Megan Hill is a Seattle-based writer with more than 10 years of experience.

You will, however, occasionally find red swamp crayfish in certain areas where they have been innocently introduced and have become an invasive species. Crayfish usually are found in areas where they can seek cover. You can bait the traps with salmon chunks, chicken necks or gizzards, cat food or dog food, or fish carcasses from another fishing trip or from a fish-cleaning plant. You are required to mark your pot or trap with a flotation device, and there is a daily limit of 10 pounds per person. Keep in mind, however, that the crayfish in other parts of the country or world are probably not the same species and may have quite different habits. Except where otherwise noted, when "crayfish" is used in this pamphlet it means P. leniusculus. She has served as a writer and editor for websites and nonprofit organizations, as well as a reporter for magazines such as "Seattle Met," "Seattle Magazine" and "Edible Seattle.

If you cannot positively identify your catch as a nonnative species, the daily limit and other restrictions listed in the Fishing in Washington regulation pamphlet for native crayfish apply..

Protip: You can catch them with a pot in Lake Washington, you do not even need a fishing licence.

Wild stocks have been harvested for many years from the rivers of Oregon and to a lesser extent, from the lakes of Washington. Rock piles, boulders, weedy spots may all harbor crayfish. Crayfish are found in lakes, streams and rivers. Technically it is a decapod crustacean, related to lobsters, shrimps and crabs. Demand is high enough to support a number of "crayfish farms" in Louisiana, where large numbers are raised as annual crops in specially constructed ponds. People think of them as scavengers because they are not very good at chasing down live prey.

Crawfish will avoid poluted water and Lake Washington is a commercial Crayfish fishery. To fish for crayfish, you must first obtain a tar trap, minnow trap, ring net or pot -- common devices for trapping these crustaceans. Our native species is considerably larger at full size than the species grown commercially in Louisiana, but does not grow nearly as fast. Our native crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus) has a uniform brown coloration, white or light coloration at the claw joint, and a smooth surface on the claws and carapace (head and back) compared to the nonnatives. In summer, a typical crayfish lake will contain immature males and females from the previous year which have not yet mated, adult males, adult females which have recently shed their young, and many newly-hatched juveniles. Crayfish. Crayfish are found in lakes, streams and rivers. Recently learned we have a local population of crawfish in the state. Crawdad. It is important you can distinguish the difference between our ONE native crayfish and nonnative species that have invaded our waters. Fresh fish parts make good bait, but even dog food will work. Also known as crawfish, crawdads or mudbugs, crayfish inhabit lakes, rivers and streams all over Washington state, often growing to 6 inches or more. When: Fishing is prohibited during the winter months to protect the population's reproductive capacity. Our West Coast species is generally larger than the Louisiana and European crayfish and according to some connoisseurs, is even tastier, but it has never been commercially cultured. These crustaceans can, however, make for an interesting and delicious meal. In Lake Washington, the crayfish season opens the first Monday of May and runs through the end of October. Best Crawfish in Tacoma, Washington: Find 214 Tripadvisor traveller reviews of THE BEST Crawfish and search by price, location, and more. A handful of other species, including the red swamp crayfish from Louisiana, have become invasive in many waters. The term "crayfish" probably arose from misunderstanding of an old word crevis, which is related to the German Krebs, or "crab." This species is larger than the two types of crayfish found in Louisiana: the red swamp and white river crayfish. Even crawdab. Some of the best places to go crayfishing in Washington include Lake Washington, Pine Lake and Lake Sammamish, all in the western part of the state.

Mark your device with a buoy so you don't lose it, and submerge it in water that is 15 to 30 feet deep. This often overlooked culinary treat is ripe for the taking about half the year. Crayfish are available from spring through fall, with most of the largest individuals inhabiting areas between 15 and 30 feet deep.

There are lots of options out there – just be sure you follow WDFW regulations.

Our species normally requires at least three years to grow to the minimum 3 ¼ inch legal size for harvest, by which time most have had a chance to reproduce. Rivers like the Columbia River and its tributaries are also excellent places to catch crayfish, particularly during and after the annual salmon runs, when crayfish feed heavily on the remains of salmon that have died in the river.