Spot shrimp (Prawns) from 6 to 10 inches are harvested in May and June. The season closes upon determination the quota is filled. Limit is 80 shrimp or 10 pounds per person.
This is a highly prized trip, often booking a year or two out. Spot shrimp only or a combo trip: Shrimp and bottom fishing.
Shrmping in the San Juans continues for months. A wider variety of shrimp including Spot, Pink, and Coonstripe are available and can be combined with bottom fishing (Ling Cod/Greenling/Rockfish).
More information on SHRIMP: The State of Washington, Department of Fish & Wildlife has excellent informtion, some is copied below.
Puget Sound Shrimp
More than 80 shrimp species inhabit Washington waters. Only seven species though, are regularly captured for consumption by sport harvesters. Almost all sport shrimp harvest takes place in Puget Sound or its connecting waters.All seven harvested species belong to the family Pandalidae, and share similar biology and life history. Shrimp of this family have a unique reproductive cycle, maturing first as males, then changing sex in later years to reproduce as females. Puget Sound shrimp spawn in late summer or fall. Eggs develop in the female prior to spawning, and can be seen as a dark band just under the shell on the head. Shortly after mating, eggs are extruded to the underside of the abdomen, where they are fertilized by a packet of sperm previously obtained from the male, then attached to the female’s specialized legs. The female carries the developing eggs until they hatch in early spring. Newly hatched shrimp larvae are small (about 3/16 of an inch, or 5mm), planktonic (free floating, unable to swim against currents), and bear only a superficial resemblance to adults. About three months after hatching, larvae gradually start to take on the appearance and habits of adults. The larvae continue to develop, maturing as males within 18 months of hatching. They reproduce as males for one or two seasons before transforming into females for the next fall’s mating season. Females reproduce for one or two seasons, and do not seem to survive long after their final brood is hatched (at age 4 or 5 years).The proportion of shrimp changing sex from male to female varies from year-to year. A few individuals will skip the male phase and spend their entire lives as females. Recent studies indicate that increased fishing pressure or high natural mortality can induce males to change into females at a younger age, or completely skip the male phase. This reproductive strategy may help to ensure that there is an adequate supply of egg-producing females each year.Shrimp are found primarily on or near the bottom, but make daily migrations through the water column in search of food. They have been found at depths greater than 1,000 feet, but are most frequently captured at depths of 30 to 300 feet. A variety of fish prey on shrimp, including cod, lingcod, hake, flounder, halibut, dogfish, skates, and other bottom fish.NOAA Kodiak Laboratory webpage has a very good shrimp species comparison photo.
Spot Shrimp