Alexis Marnin, 7, Rita Suarez and Adam Marnin head to the beach to clam Sept. 18, 2021 in Seaview. Dates for the start of the 2022 season have just been announced.
Alexis Marnin, 7, Rita Suarez and Adam Marnin head to the beach to clam Sept. 18, 2021 in Seaview. Dates for the start of the 2022 season have just been announced.
OLYMPIA – Shellfish managers with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife on Sept. 9 announced 56 tentative dates for razor clam digs at coastal beaches from Sept. 22 through Dec. 28.
“The 2022-23 razor clam season will mirror the remarkable digging opportunities last season pending marine toxin levels stay below the health guidelines,” said Dan Ayres, the WDFW coastal shellfish manager.
Final approval of marine toxin testing usually occurs about a week or less prior to the start of each digging series. Marine toxins have been elevated but remain below the Washington Department of Health guidelines. It will be particularly important for harvesters to check the WDFW website, before heading to the beach at wdfw.wa.gov.
In tests conducted Sept. 7 at three sites between Long Beach and Leadbetter Point, clams were found to have domoic levels of 6, 6 and 5 parts per million — well below the safety threshold of 20 ppm but up slightly from 4 ppm on Aug. 10. Tests on Aug. 6 on Twin Harbors beach in north Pacific and south Grays Harbor counties found levels of 8, 7 and 5 ppm, up from 6 ppm on Aug. 9. Potential domoic problems are mostly evident on the Copalis and Mocrocks beaches farther north in Grays Harbor County. See wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/basics/domoic-acid/levels.
On all open beaches — Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks, and Copalis — 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 dug, regardless of size or condition.
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.
Sept. 22, Thursday, 5:03 a.m.; 0.4 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis
Sept. 23, Friday, 5:41 a.m.; 0.1 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
Sept. 24, Saturday, 6:15 a.m.; 0.0 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis
Sept. 25, Sunday, 6:48 a.m.; 0.1 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
Sept. 26, Monday, 7:19 a.m.; 0.3 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis
Sept. 27, Tuesday, 8:24 p.m.; -0.1 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
Sept. 28, Wednesday, 9:06 p.m.; -0.3 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis
Sept. 29, Thursday, 9:51 p.m.; -0.4 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
Sept. 30, Friday, 10:43 p.m.; -0.2 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis
Oct. 8, Saturday, 6:21 p.m.; 0.5 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
Oct. 9, Sunday, 7:05 p.m.; -0.1 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis
Oct. 10, Monday, 7:46 p.m.; -0.5 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
Oct. 11, Tuesday, 8:26 p.m.; -0.6 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis
Oct. 12, Wednesday, 9:06 p.m.; -0.4 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
Oct. 13, Thursday, 9:46 p.m.; -0.2 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis
Oct. 14, Friday, 10:29 p.m.; 0.3 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
Oct. 24, Monday, 6:44 p.m.; 0.0 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis
Oct. 25, Tuesday, 7:24 p.m.; -0.6 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
Oct. 26, Wednesday, 8:05 p.m.; -1.0 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis
Oct. 27, Thursday, 8:48 p.m.; -1.1 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
Oct. 28, Friday, 9:35 p.m.; -1.0 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis
Oct. 29, Saturday, 10:28 p.m.; -0.7 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
Oct. 30, Sunday, 11:27 p.m.; -0.3 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis
Nov. 6, Sunday, 5:08 p.m.; 0.0 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
Nov. 7, Monday, 5:49 p.m.; -0.5 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis
Nov. 8, Tuesday, 6:28 p.m.; -0.7 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
Nov. 9, Wednesday, 7:05 p.m.; -0.7 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis
Nov. 10, Thursday, 7:42 p.m.; -0.6 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
Nov. 11, Friday, 8:19 p.m.; -0.2 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis (Veterans Day)
Nov. 12, Saturday, 8:59 p.m.; 0.1 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
Nov. 13, Sunday, 9:43 p.m.; 0.5 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis
Nov. 22, Tuesday, 5:22 p.m.; -0.6 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis
Nov. 23, Wednesday, 6:04 p.m.; -1.2 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
Nov. 24, Thursday, 6:48 p.m.; -1.6 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis (Thanksgiving Day)
Nov. 25, Friday, 7:35 p.m.; -1.6 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
Nov. 26, Saturday, 8:23 p.m.; -1.5 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis
Nov. 27, Sunday, 9:15 p.m.; -1.1 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
Nov. 28, Monday, 10:10 p.m.; -0.5 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis
Dec. 4, Sunday, 4:09 p.m.; 0.4 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis
Dec. 5, Monday, 4:53 p.m.; -0.1 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
Dec. 6, Tuesday, 5:33 p.m.; -0.5 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis
Dec. 7, Wednesday, 6:11 p.m.; -0.6 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
Dec. 8, Thursday, 6:47 p.m.; -0.6 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis
Dec. 9, Friday, 7:23 p.m.; -0.5 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
Dec. 10, Saturday, 7:59 p.m.; -0.3 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis
Dec. 11, Sunday, 8:35 p.m.; 0.0 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
Dec. 12, Monday, 9:13 p.m.; 0.3 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis
Dec. 20, Tuesday, 4:14 p.m.; 0.0 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
Dec. 21, Wednesday, 5:02 p.m.; -0.8 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis
Dec. 22, Thursday, 5:48 p.m.; -1.4 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
Dec. 23, Friday, 6:35 p.m.; -1.8 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis
Dec. 24, Saturday, 7:23 p.m.; -1.9 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
Dec. 25, Sunday, 8:10 p.m.; -1.6 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis (Christmas Day)
Dec. 26, Monday, 8:58 p.m.; -1.2 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
Dec. 27, Tuesday, 9:47 p.m.; -0.5 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis
Dec. 28, Wednesday, 10:37 p.m.; 0.3 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
No digging is allowed before noon during digs when low tide occurs in the afternoon or evening.
All diggers age 15 or older must have an applicable fishing license to harvest razor clams on any beach.
Licenses range from a three-day razor clam license to an annual combination fishing license. Licenses can be purchased from WDFW’s licensing website at fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov/login, and from hundreds of license vendors around the state. WDFW recommends buying your license before visiting coastal beach communities.
The updated 2022-23 Razor Clam Management Plan can be found at wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/shellfishing-regulations/razor-clams#management. Public comments on the plan will be accepted no later than Oct. 15 and may be emailed to: razorclams@dfw.wa.gov. For more information, go to the WDFW's razor clam webpage at wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/shellfishing-regulations/razor-clams.
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