Shellfish managers with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) today announced 47 tentative days of razor clam digs at four coastal beaches from Oct. 6 through Jan. 6.
“This recreational razor clam season will see similar digging opportunity to the past two years, with a full digging schedule again for this fall,” said Bryce Blumenthal, a WDFW coastal shellfish biologist. “The tides this year will allow for clam gathering opportunity in the lead up to the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, along with harvestable daylight digs for the late afternoons of New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.”
All beach openings are dependent on final approval of marine toxin testing, which usually occurs about a week or less before the start of each digging series. Before a beach can open for digging, the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) requires two test samples seven to 10 days apart and domoic acid levels under the guideline level.
Domoic acid, a natural toxin that certain marine algae produce, can be harmful or fatal if consumed in sufficient quantities. For more information about domoic acid, as well as current levels at ocean beaches, refer to the WDFW’s domoic acid webpage and the DOH webpage.
On all open beaches — Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis and Mocrocks — the daily limit is 15 clams per person. Each digger’s clams must be kept in a separate container, and all diggers must keep the first 15 clams they dig, regardless of size or condition.
“It’s important that diggers keep the clams they dig to prevent wastage (includes discarding small clams, clam with broken shells or reburying unwanted clams),” Blumenthal said. “It’s not unusual to encounter some small clams, especially this early in the season.”
Kalaloch beach off the northern Olympic Peninsula coast won’t be open due to continuing issues with depressed populations of harvestable clams.
Most successful digging occurs between one and two hours before the listed time of low tide. Below are the tentative dates, along with low tides and beaches.
Tentative dates during late afternoon/evening (noon to midnight only) low tides:
Oct. 6, Monday; 6:35 p.m.; -0.2 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
Oct. 7, Tuesday; 7:18 p.m.; -1.0 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
Oct. 8, Wednesday, 8:02 p.m.; -1.4 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis
Oct. 9, Thursday, 8:49 p.m.; -1.5 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis
Oct. 10, Friday, 9:40 p.m.; -1.3 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
Oct. 11, Saturday, 10:37 p.m.; -0.8 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
Oct. 12, Sunday, 11:41 p.m.; -0.2 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis
Oct. 20, Monday, 6:40 p.m.; 0.2 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis
Oct. 21, Tuesday, 7:13 p.m.; -0.1 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis
Oct. 22, Wednesday, 7:45 p.m.; -0.3 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
Oct. 23, Thursday, 8:18 p.m.; -0.3 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
Oct. 24, Friday, 8:53 p.m.; -0.1 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis
Oct. 25, Saturday, 9:31 p.m.; 0.1 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis
Oct. 26, Sunday, 10:15 p.m.; 0.5 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
Nov. 3, Monday, 4:30 p.m.; -0.1 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
Nov. 4, Tuesday, 5:15 p.m.; -1.1 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
Nov. 5, Wednesday, 6:01 p.m.; -1.7 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis
Nov. 6, Thursday, 6:46 p.m.; -2.0 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis
Nov. 7, Friday, 7:34 p.m.; -1.9 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
Nov. 8, Saturday, 8:25 p.m.; -1.5 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
Nov. 9, Sunday, 9:19 p.m.; -0.9 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis
Nov. 18, Tuesday, 5:18 p.m.; 0.0 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis
Nov. 19, Wednesday, 5:52 p.m.; -0.3 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
Nov. 20, Thursday, 6:25 p.m.; -0.4 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
Nov. 21, Friday, 6:59 p.m.; -0.4 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis
Nov. 22, Saturday, 7:34 p.m.; -0.3 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis
Nov. 23, Sunday, 8:12 p.m.; -0.1 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
Dec. 2, Tuesday, 4:11 p.m.; -0.6 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis
Dec. 3, Wednesday, 4:59 p.m.; -1.4 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
Dec. 4, Thursday, 5:47 p.m.; -1.9 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
Dec. 5, Friday, 6:34 p.m.; -2.1 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis
Dec. 6, Saturday, 7:22 p.m.; -1.9 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis
Dec. 7, Sunday, 8:10 p.m.; -1.4 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
Dec. 8, Monday, 8:59 p.m.; -0.8 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
Dec. 18, Thursday, 5:34 p.m.; -0.2 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis
Dec. 19, Friday, 6:09 p.m.; -0.4 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
Dec. 20, Saturday, 6:44 p.m.; -0.5 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
Dec. 21, Sunday, 7:19 p.m.; -0.4 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis
Dec. 22, Monday, 7:54 p.m.; -0.3 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis
Dec. 23, Tuesday, 8:31 p.m.; -0.1 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
Dec. 31, Wednesday, 3:55 p.m.; -0.6 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis
Jan. 1, Thursday, 4:47 p.m.; -1.2 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis
Jan. 2, Friday, 5:37 p.m.; -1.6 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
Jan. 3, Saturday, 6:23 p.m.; -1.7 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
Jan. 4, Sunday, 7:07 p.m.; -1.5 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis
Jan. 5, Monday, 7:50 p.m.; -1.1 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis
Jan. 6, Tuesday, 8:32 p.m.; -0.5 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
