Smaller crayfish often are sold as fish bait. Despite the fact that almost all freshwater crayfish are edible and considered a table delicacy rivaling the lobster, they generally are underutilized by man.

Is it safe to eat crawfish from a creek?

Good to eat unless in a polluted stream. Be scared of anything that is a bottom dweller in a questionable stream unless you're not eating them very often.

Are crayfish edible?

Aside from the Beaver River, it is legal to fish for crayfish for personal consumption. But according to the Alberta's sports fishing regulations — if you're not planning on eating them, you have to kill them before you leave the shore to "prevent the spread" of the species.