OLYMPIA — Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife shellfish managers this week confirmed coastal razor clam, halibut and bottomfish spring seasons.
Coastal razor clam digging reopens at Mocrocks on Friday, followed by opportunities Sunday and Tuesday. Copalis is open Saturday, Monday and March 8.
“Hopefully the weather will be kind to us for the upcoming six days of harvest on Copalis and Mocrocks only,” said Bryce Blumenthal, a WDFW coastal shellfish biologist. “The low tides will not be as deep as previous digs, but there should be plenty of daylight digging opportunity considering how early they occur.”
The following digs during evening (p.m.) low tides will proceed as scheduled:
• Friday, 4:31 p.m.; 0.6 feet; Mocrocks.
• Saturday, 5:09 p.m.; 0.4 feet; Copalis.
• Sunday, 5:42 p.m.; 0.2 feet; Mocrocks.
• Monday, 6:13 p.m.; 0.1 feet; Copalis.
• Tuesday, 6:41 p.m.; 0.3 feet; Mocrocks.
• March 8, 7:09 p.m.; 0.5 feet; Copalis.
Details on these and future tentative digs planned on March 17-22 during evening low tides and March 23-26 during morning low tides can be found by going online at www.tinyurl.com/2023razorclams.
The state Department of Health labs indicate domoic acid levels at Long Beach and Twin Harbors beaches remain slightly above the health guideline levels. WDFW will announce future digging opportunities on those beaches when marine toxin tests show it is safe to do so.
The daily limit is 15 razor clams per person. Under state law, a daily limit consists of the first 15 clams dug regardless of size or condition, and each digger’s clams must be kept in a separate container.
Bottomfish opener
Recreational coastal bottomfish season will open March 11 with new regulations.
The new regulations are specific to copper rockfish, quillback rockfish and vermilion rockfish. Possession of the three rockfish species will be prohibited in May, June and July, when peak effort for bottomfish occurs. This restriction is intended to reduce catch to stay within state specific federal harvest limits. Recent scientific assessments for the three rockfish species indicate populations are likely healthy but smaller than previously understood.
Allowing possession and retention of these three rockfish species during March, August, September and October supports collection of crucial biological information such as length and age which are important for future scientific assessments, according to the WDFW.
La Push (Marine Area 3) and Neah Bay (Marine Area 4 west of Bonilla-Tatoosh) will open March 11 through Oct. 21. Daily aggregate limit is nine bottomfish and includes a sub-limit of seven rockfish. Daily limit is two lingcod and one cabezon per angler and no minimum size restriction.
Neah Bay (Marine Area 4 east of Bonilla-Tatoosh) is open year-round for bottomfishing. Lingcod fishing is open March 11 through Oct. 21. Daily aggregate limit is nine bottomfish and includes a sub-limit of seven black, blue and deacon rockfish, and yellowtail and widow rockfish. Daily limit is two lingcod and one cabezon per angler and no minimum size restriction.
A bottomfish limit doesn’t include halibut, which has a daily limit of one halibut, and an annual limit of four halibut.
Surfperch and shiner perch are not part of the bottomfish limit. Surfperch has a daily limit of 12 and shiner perch has a daily limit of 15 and no minimum size restriction.
Fishing for, retaining or possessing sixgill, sevengill and thresher sharks is closed in all marine areas.
Halibut opener
OLYMPIA — The halibut season will begin April 6 with an early opening in Marine Area 5 (Sekiu and Pillar Point).
“This expands opportunity by opening Marine Area 5 in April instead of May, opens the eastern portion of the Puget Sound region earlier in April compared to last year, and increases the number of consecutive days open per week,” said Lorna Wargo, WDFW intergovernmental ocean policy coordinator. “The earlier start and consecutive open days per week provide anglers with more opportunity to access the quota for these areas.”
The recreational season is based on a statewide quota of 281,728 pounds. The annual catch quota of 1.52 million in 2023 is the result of an allocation that the International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) approved in January for fisheries in Washington, Oregon and California.
In all marine areas open to halibut fishing, there is a one-fish daily catch limit and no minimum size restriction. Anglers may possess a maximum of two fish in any form while in the field and must record their catch on a WDFW catch record card. There is an annual limit of four halibut. Anglers cannot fish for, retain, possess or land halibut into a port located within an area that is closed to halibut fishing, except anglers can land halibut that were lawfully retained in Marine Area 5 into a port within Marine Area 4 when Marine Area 4 is closed.
Strait of Juan de Fuca — Sekiu and Pillar Point and Eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca (Marine Area 6, from Lyre River to Point Wilson in Port Townsend) will be open April 6-10, 13-17, 20-24 and 27-30; May 1, 4-8, 11-15, 18-22, 26-28; and June 1-30 as long as there is sufficient quota. Puget Sound will be managed to an overall quota of 79,031 pounds.
Hood Canal (Marine Area 12 ) is closed to halibut fishing to protect threatened and endangered rockfish species.
2023 Pacific Coast halibut seasons — Neah Bay and La Push (Marine Areas 3 and 4) will be open May 4, 6, 11, 13, 18, 20, 26, 28; and June 1, 3, 8, 10, 15, 17, 22, 24, 29 if there is sufficient quota. The combined quota for both areas is 129,668 pounds.
