Not everyone comes to Ocean City to fish. Some vacationers come to crab.
"Where can I go crabbing?"

One of the most popular piers in Ocean City for crabbing is the pier
behind the Recreational Center at North Side Park at 127th Street. You can
park behind the park at 127th Street and walk to the pier or you can park on
125th Street along the side of the road and walk across the field to get to
the pier (a little closer.) Either way, plan to walk a short distance to
get to the pier. The crabbing here is best on the higher tides, as the
water is not very deep in this location. Towards the end of the pier is the
best.

"What about the salt water pond before you get to the pier?"

Sometimes vacationers catch some nice big crabs in this pond area. It is
deeper than the water on the pier, so watch the young children. Crabs come
in to the pond area from the big culver pipes on the high tide. Local
residents say that an early morning high tide is productive for crabs in
this location.

"Can you fish from the pier at 127th Street as well?" Sure, but don't
expect to catch anything really big. It is a good place to take the kids
with ultra-light tackle and fish with worms on little hooks for spot,
croaker, sand perch and an occasional sea trout.

Another crabbing location is from the pier behind Convention Center at 41st
Street. This is also good on the high tide and fishing is much the same as
it is at the 127th Street Pier. (There are more croakers caught here, and
sometimes a flounder.) There are troublesome horseshoe crabs here that can
wreck your crab traps occasionally. And the Jet Ski activity can be
intense in the middle of the day. But there is plenty of free parking
without having to walk far to get to the pier. Vacationers can also walk out
and clam here during low tide.

Some vacationers like to crab from 9th Street Pier on the bayside. There
are some crabs here, but it isn't as good as it used to be. It's very good
fishing here however, for spot, croaker, sea bass, bluefish, and flounder.
It's worth a try if you want to do some serious fishing as well.

"What about the pay piers?"

The Oceanic Pier and the Shantytown Pier are only fair for crabbing, but
again, the fishing is good from these two piers. Ever since the rocks were
put around the pilings of the Rt. 50 Bridge, crabbing close to the inlet
slowed down because the tidal flow increased. If you do try to crab in these
locations, get out of the intense tide when you throw your crab traps over.
You will probably catch more females than males from these piers near the
inlet, but as long as they are of legal size and are not bearing eggs, you
can keep them.

"Where can we get away from the hustle-bustle of Ocean City?"

Crabbers go to the Isle of Wight located on the island in the center of the
Route 90 Bridge. Cross the Route 90 Bridge going west and make a left at
the sign for "Isle of Wight." Walk approximately ¼ mile towards Ocean City
where there is a bulkhead. Some crabbers take a right here at this
intersection and park along the side of the road and walk across the marsh
to crab. (Others park on the side of the road on the main highway and walk
to the water but there is a chance you may be ticketed.)


Crabbers always find "out of the way" places to crab. Going west on Rt. 50
between Ocean City and Berlin is a little bridge and creek called Herring
Creek. You have to park on the side of the road in the grass, or get
someone to drop you off, but crabbing is very good here.

If you go down Rt. 611 towards Assateague, crabbers find another crabbing
creek called Ayres Creek. Go towards Assateague and make a right on Rt. 376
(right next to Buck's Place.) Again, this is a little bridge going over a
creek where you have to park on the side of the road in the grass or get
someone to drop you off.

South Point has a public boat ramp where there is plenty room to crab. To
get to this South Point boat ramp, go all the way down Rt. 611 towards
Assateague but veer off to the right at the sign for South Point. Go all
the way to the very end of South Point to get to the public ramp. It's a
drive, but well worth it. (Be sure to take the bug spray and all the
supplies you need- it's a long way to a store!)

Assateague has several places to crab. There is crabbing from the public
boat ramp area right before you cross over the Bridge going to Assateague.
Crab here at high tide because there is not much water at low tide. If you
go over the bridge going into Assateague, take a right and go into the
National Seashore State Park. You have to pay $5 per car to drive in, but
there are two little fishing and crabbing piers in the park. Again, high
tide is your best bet here as well, because the water on the east side of
the Assateague bay is not very deep.

For the really adventurous souls, there is Public Landing. This is 27 miles
from Ocean City but quite good crabbing. Go South on Rt. 113 towards Snow
Hill. Just past Snow Hill you will see a sign for Public Landing on the left
hand side of the highway. Go down this road, all the way to the end, and you
will come to a public boat launch area with a very nice long pier.

"How about in Delaware?"

Delaware has several good crabbing areas. One of the nicest is part of the
Delaware Seashore State Park called Holt's Landing. Go west on Rt. 26 at
Bethany (where you see the big wooden Indian) and go down that road through
Ocean View and Millville. Start looking for the sign for Holt's Landing on
the right side of the highway near Clarksville. Just follow the signs. You
will feel like you are in the middle of nowhere, but you are about to come
across a very nice part of the Indian River Bay where you can crab, clam, or
just have a picnic. (Yes, this is a pay area.)

It is a good idea to pick up an ADC Sussex County, DE map to find the
Delaware locations and an ADC Ocean City Map to find the Ocean City areas
you will be visiting, so you do not get lost.

Crabbers in Delaware go into Camp Barnes and area to find crabbing spots in
the Assawoman Wildlife Area between Fenwick Island and South Bethany -- off
road 364.)

Another famous crabbing place in Delaware is Love Creek Bridge. From Rt. 1
in Rehoboth, go west on Rt. 24 (McDonalds intersection) approximately 5
miles. There is a new bridge there with an older bridge that has been kept
intact for crabbing. If you continue down Rt. 24 about 9 miles you will come
to Rosedale Beach (a state
park) next to Gull Point Condo's. You will see signs directing you to the
Gull Point Condo's and the state park is next to the condos. Also, in the
town of Oak Orchard, is a pay pier for crabbing.

Some anglers crab from the pier at Cape Henlopen if it is not too
crowded.

Vacationers can crab from any empty lot or marsh along the bayside where
there are no signs posted that say otherwise. Always carry bug spray and
plenty of supplies. Crabbing is a fun thing to do with the family! And you
can always do a little fishing while crabbing as well.

Good crabbing and fishing.