Coastal razor clam enthusiasts should be able to find a treasure trove of bivalves this fall and winter.
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) shellfish managers announced 47 days of tentative razor clam digs from Oct. 6 through Jan 6 for Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis, and Mocrocks beaches.
“This recreational razor clam season will see similar digging opportunities 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.”
Summer assessment surveys conducted by WDFW and tribal co-managers showed a relatively stable population of razor clams on all four beaches. Kalaloch Beach along the northern Olympic Peninsula coast won’t be open due to continuing issues with depressed populations of harvestable clams.
All beach openings are dependent on final approval of marine toxin testing, which usually occurs about a week or less prior to the start of each digging series. The Washington Department of Health requires two test samples taken seven to 10 days apart, and domoic acid levels must fall under the guideline level before a beach opens for digging.
Domoic acid, a natural toxin produced by certain types of marine algae, can be harmful or fatal if consumed in sufficient quantities.
Most successful digging occurs between one and two hours before the listed time of low tide. No digging is allowed before noon during digs when low tide occurs in the afternoon or evening.
Here are the tentative series of dates:
Oct. 6, 7, 10, and 11 at Long Beach, Twin Harbors, and Mocrocks;
and Oct. 8, 9, and 12 at Long Beach, Twin Harbors, and Copalis.
Oct. 22, 23, and 26 at Long Beach, Twin Harbors, and Mocrocks; and
Oct. 20, 21, 24 and 25 at Long Beach, Twin Harbors, and Copalis.
Nov. 3, 4, 7, and 8 at Long Beach, Twin Harbors, and Mocrocks;
and Nov. 5, 6, and 9 at Long Beach, Twin Harbors, and Copalis.
Nov. 19, 20, and 23 at Long Beach, Twin Harbors, and Mocrocks; and
Nov. 18, 21, and 22 at Long Beach, Twin Harbors, and Copalis.
Dec. 3, 4, 7, and 8 at Long Beach, Twin Harbors, and Mocrocks; and
Dec. 2, 5, and 6 at Long Beach, Twin Harbors, and Copalis.
Dec. 19, 20, and 23 at Long Beach, Twin Harbors, and Mocrocks; and
Dec. 18, 21, and 22 at Long Beach, Twin Harbors, and Copalis.
Jan. 2, 3, and 6 at Long Beach, Twin Harbors, and Mocrocks; and
Dec. 31, and Jan. 1, 4, and 5 at Long Beach, Twin Harbors, and Copalis.
During the 2024-25 season, a total of 109 digging days at the four beaches were offered from Oct. 3 through May 15. During that time, 312,716 digger trips were made with a total harvest of 3,957,859 razor clams harvested. At Long Beach, 96,152 digger trips saw 1,253,207 razor clams harvested for an average of 12.7 clams per person; at Twin Harbors, it was 98,096 with 1,369,969 for 12.7; at Copalis, it was 66,628 with 804,903 for 11.9; and at Mocrocks, it was 51,840 with 629,781 for 12.0.
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 dig, regardless of size or condition.
“It's important that diggers keep the clams they dig to prevent wastage (includes discarding small clams, clams with broken shells, or reburying unwanted clams),” Blumenthal said. “It's not unusual to encounter some small clams, especially this early in the season.”
All diggers age 16 or older must have an applicable fishing license to harvest razor clams on any beach. Licenses can be purchased from WDFW’s licensing website and from hundreds of license vendors around the state. WDFW recommends buying your license before visiting coastal beach communities.
WDFW reminds beachgoers to avoid disturbing nesting snowy plovers – a small sand-colored shorebird – by staying out of the dunes and posted areas along the sandy beach coastline. Snowy plover nests are nearly invisible, and it is vital to give birds the space to live and thrive during the nesting period, especially along the southern end of Twin Harbors, known as Midway Beach, and north of Second Avenue in Ocean City to the north end of Copalis Beach and the north end of Long Beach. Avoid leaving leftover food or trash on the beach and picnic areas, keep pets on a leash, stay out of dunes, and avoid areas marked with posted signs.
When driving on the beach, please respect the 25-mph speed limit and enter only at designated access points. Stay on the hard-packed sand near the high tide line to avoid crushing clam beds, buried female Dungeness crab, and snowy plover nests. The 2025-26 Razor Clam Management Plan will be available soon on the WDFW’s website. WDFW welcomes public input on proposed razor clam schedules and considers this feedback when finalizing each season’s digs. Public comments may be emailed to razorclams@dfw.wa.gov. For more information, refer to the WDFW's razor clam webpage at https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/shellfishing-regulations/razor-clams.
Look for decent October trout fishing
It’s beginning to feel a lot like autumn as temperatures drop, the sun fades away much sooner, leaves are falling, and trout have become active in many statewide lakes.
While the bulk of trout plants occurred back in spring, many of those fish are still waiting to be caught, and some have grown larger in size, plus WDFW hatcheries continue to add more fish into lakes. The seasonal lakes remain open for trout fishing through Oct. 31, while others are open for year-round.
Some fair to good seasonal westside lakes include Pine, Wilderness, Langlois, Toad, Margaret, Whatcom, Steel, Summit, Bosworth, Ki, Storm, McMurray, Sixteen, Erie, Silver (Whatcom County), and Padden.
The top lakes east of the Cascades are Jameson in Douglas; Ellen in Ferry; Starvation in Stevens; Wapato in Chelan; Pearrygin; and Conconully Lake and Reservoir in Okanogan. You can track trout plants on the WDFW website at https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/reports/stocking/trout-plants.
To sweeten the deal, WDFW’s Trout Derby continues to offer anglers a chance to catch a tagged fish and win a prize through Oct. 31.
The derby – which began in late-April – features more than 100 lakes planted with fish that have an orange tag attached near their dorsal fin. If you catch one, be sure to keep the tag to claim your prize. For derby details, go to https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/contests/trout-derby.
Heading into November, WDFW hatchery staff will be busy leading up to Black Friday by stocking thousands of jumbo rainbow trout, weighing up to three pounds apiece and measuring longer than 14 inches, in lakes covering an area from the Puget Sound region to southwest Washington, as well as a few eastern Washington lakes and ponds.
The Black Friday program, created more than a decade ago by WDFW, looked at ways to raise thousands of rainbow trout for a late-season fishery in select year-round lakes. This post-Thanksgiving fishery has been a hit among anglers looking for options to go fishing at a time when choices are skinny.
Before heading out the door, be sure to check for lakes that are open or closed, and regulations at https://wdfw.wa.gov/.
