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Buyer's Guide

Blue Crab Size Guide

Every crab on CrabStock is graded by size. Here's what Colossal, Jumbo, Large, Medium, and Small actually mean — with real price ranges and what to expect.

How Are Blue Crabs Graded?

Blue crabs are sized by measuring point-to-point across the widest part of the shell (the "points" are the tips of the two outermost spines). Watermen and crab houses grade by size using wire gauges or rulers. The grading is not standardized nationwide — a "Jumbo" in Maryland may be slightly different from one in Virginia — but the ranges below reflect common Chesapeake Bay standards.

Colossal

#1 Premium🦀🦀🦀

The showstopper. Colossals are trophy crabs — rarely abundant, often sold out by noon. You're mostly buying bragging rights, but the meat yield is unmatched. Perfect for a fancy backyard feast.

Shell Size
6.5"+ point-to-point
Typical Price
$110–$140/dozen
Meat Yield
35–40%

Jumbo

Large #1🦀🦀

The sweet spot. Jumbos are what most serious crab houses serve. Big enough to be satisfying, available often enough to be the standard. If you see these in stock, don't hesitate.

Shell Size
6"–6.5" point-to-point
Typical Price
$80–$110/dozen
Meat Yield
30–35%

Large

#1 Large / Heavy🦀

The everyday Chesapeake crab. You'll find larges most commonly in stock throughout the season. Great value, still meaty, and most crab-eating veterans order a bushel of larges for a crowd.

Shell Size
5.5"–6" point-to-point
Typical Price
$60–$80/dozen
Meat Yield
25–30%

Medium

#2 Heavy🦀

Mediums are the budget-friendly option — kids love them because they're easier to crack. Watermen often keep mediums for bushel sales when Larges are running short. More crabs per bushel means more fun, less fuss.

Shell Size
5"–5.5" point-to-point
Typical Price
$45–$65/dozen
Meat Yield
18–25%

Small / #2

Sooks / Light🦀

Smaller but still delicious when steamed hot with Old Bay. Smalls are often the early-season and late-season catch. Some crab pickers prefer them because the sweet meat is more concentrated. Great for crab soup.

Shell Size
4.5"–5" point-to-point
Typical Price
$30–$45/dozen
Meat Yield
12–18%

Soft-Shell Crabs

Soft-shell crabs are blue crabs that have just molted (shed their hard shell). For about 12 hours after molting, the entire crab is edible — shell and all.

Season
May through September, peaking in May–June when water temps trigger mass molting.
Price Range
$6–$18 per crab depending on size
How to Eat
Fried, sautéed, or grilled — eaten whole. No cracking required.
Soft-Shell Sizes
Hotel (3.5"–4")
Prime (4"–4.5")
Jumbo (4.5"–5")
Whale (5"+)

Buyer Tips

  • 1.Buy 1 dozen per person for a light meal; 1.5–2 dozen for a serious crab feast.
  • 2.A bushel contains roughly 5–8 dozen crabs depending on size. A large bushel feeds 6–8 adults.
  • 3.Weekend prices are typically 5–10% higher than weekday prices — buy Thursday or Friday morning for the best value.
  • 4.Ask if crabs are "sooks" (females) or "jimmies" (males). Jimmies have more claw meat; sooks have sweeter body meat and sometimes roe.
  • 5.Crabs should be alive and active before steaming. If they're not moving, don't buy them.
  • 6."Heavy" means the crab recently molted and is full of meat. "Light" means it molted recently and hasn't filled back in yet.

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