Question: I was wondering if you can harvest crayfish by free diving for them in lakes and streams using only your hands.

Answer: Yes. Crayfish may be taken only by hand, hook and line, dip net or with traps not over three feet in greatest dimension (CCR Title 14, Section 5.35). Most crayfish have no limit and the season is open all year. However, Shasta crayfish are protected and so there are specific river and lake closures listed for their protection in the 2013-2014 California Freshwater Sport Fishing regulations booklet (on page 20), as well as online at www.dfg.ca.gov/regulations. Look for subsection (d) of this section for the closed waters to avoid.