OLYMPIA — Shellfish managers with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife this week 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 State Department of Health requires two test samples seven to 10 days apart and domoic acid levels under the guideline level.
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.
Kalaloch Beach on the outer 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 in October, along with low tides and beaches. There are more proposed dates in November, December and January. More information on the winter’s open dates can be found at www.WDFW.wa.gov.
Tentative dates during late afternoon/evening (noon to midnight only) low tides for October include:
• 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.
Diggers must have a valid 2025-2026 license.
