The basics of
Shellfishing in WA
A primer before you get out on the beach to seek out tasty bivalves. Please do your own research too -- especially surrounding legalities! FWS does not f around.
Legalities
There are some very specific and important laws you have to follow when collecting shellfish.
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You need a license before you start shellfishing! You can purchase one online. No need to worry if you get one last-minute -- you can print a temporary license which is legal for 15 days.
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Remember: a licensing year is April 1~March 31.
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There are several different license types that allow harvest of shellfish. The best deal is the year-round shellfish/seaweed license.
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Be sure to check for beach closures due to biotoxin or pollution -- interactive map here or scroll down to the bottom of this page to look up specific beaches.
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Be mindful of private property lines when you are harvesting on public land! Trespassing is illegal.
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There are specific harvesting rules for each species! Please see Identification section below.
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Use a mesh bag for each member of your group so more than one limit may be held in a bucket. Mesh bags used for packaging produce can be repurposed to hold clam limits.
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Always fill in holes made and bury undersize clams back where they were found (excepting razor clams)!
Identification
Manila clam
The most abundant clam species -- grows up to 2½ easily identified with their beautiful patterns: they often sport deep, wide bars of color over a finely ridged shell. Buried up to 4".
Minimum size 1½ inches measured across longest distance of the shell. Daily combined limit of all clam species (excluding HORSE CLAMS and GEODUCKS) no more than 40 clams, not to exceed 10 pounds in the shell.
Native littleneck clam
Grows up to 3½ inches long. The shell exterior features concentric rings with radiating lines that form a lattice pattern. They may be cream or grey colored and may display a variety of different patterns. The lower side typically has a pronounced ridge, whereas the same location on the Manila clam is indented.
Minimum size 1½ inches measured across longest distance of the shell. Daily combined limit of all clam species (excluding HORSE CLAMS and GEODUCKS) no more than 40 clams, not to exceed 10 pounds in the shell.
Horse clam
Large clam with oval shell, with the length typically 1½ times the height. Has a wide hole where the siphon (neck) extends from the shells. Horse clams are not able to fully retract their siphon into their shells. The tip of the siphon has leather-like plates, often with algae or barnacles attached to them. Buried 1 to 2 feet deep in the mid to low intertidal zone in sandy or gravel and cobble substrate, and extends into the subtidal.
No size limit. Daily limit is first 7 clams dug, regardless of size or condition. Broken clams count towards daily limit.
Varnish clam
Varnish clams have an oval shaped shell that is thin, flat, and up to 3½ inches long. They have a thick, shiny periostracum, which is the fibrous layer on the outside of the shells. They typically have purple coloration on the interior of the shell.
No minimum size. Daily combined limit of all clam species (excluding HORSE CLAMS and GEODUCKS) no more than 40 clams, not to exceed 10 pounds in the shell.
Cockle clam
Grows to 5½ inches. They have strong, rounded, radiating ribs that are longer on the posterior (with the hinge ligament) side. Typically yellow to brown colored, with a mottled appearance. When the cockle is viewed from the side so that both valves (shells) are visible, it resembles the shape of a heart. They re buried 1-2 inches deep in sandy, sheltered beaches and are also found in gravel and cobble substrate. Live cockles are also sometimes found lying on the beach surface.
Minimum size 1½ inches measured across longest distance of the shell. Daily combined limit of all clam species (excluding HORSE CLAMS and GEODUCKS) no more than 40 clams, not to exceed 10 pounds in the shell.
Eastern softshell clam
Eastern softshell clams have an elongated shell that is thin, brittle, and uneven on the outer surface. They grow to 6 inches long and are white or grey colored with dark siphon tips. Eastern softshell clams have a periostracum, which is a thin fibrous layer, around the edge of the shells. Eastern softshell clams are buried 8 to 14 inches deep in sand and mud substrate, often in estuaries.
No minimum size. Daily combined limit of all clam species (excluding HORSE CLAMS and GEODUCKS) no more than 40 clams, not to exceed 10 pounds in the shell.
Geoduck
The geoduck reaches an average size of 2.07 pounds (including the shell) in subtidal waters of Puget Sound.
Personal daily limit is first 3 clams dug.
All geoducks taken for personal use must be retained by the digger as part of their daily limit, regardless of size or condition.
It is illegal to maim, injure or attempt to capture a geoduck by thrusting any instrument through its siphon or to possess only the siphon or neck portion of a geoduck.
Recreational geoduck may only be taken by hand or with nonmechanized hand-operated forks, picks, mattocks, rakes, and shovels. A cylindrical can or tube not exceeding 24 inches in diameter may be used to support the hole while digging geoduck.
Oyster
Pacific oysters are oblong shaped with an irregular, wavy shell edge. They are chalky white or grey in color and are up to 12 inches long.
Minimum size 2-1/2 inches measured across the longest distance of the shell.
Daily limit 18 oysters. Oysters consumed on the beach count toward a limit.
Oysters must be shucked on the beach. Leave shells on the same tideland and at the same tide height as where they were taken.
Oysters may only be harvested by hand or with hand-held manually operated prying tool (no hammers, etc.). Each harvester must use a separate container to retain their catch.
Razor clam
The Pacific razor clam is an exceptionally meaty shellfish, with a narrow, oblong shell. In Washington, these clams can grow to a length of three to six inches. Clams seven inches long have been recorded, but are very rare. The life expectancy for Washington clams is five years. In contrast, razor clams found in Alaska may grow to 11 inches in length and live to be 15 years old, due to colder water temperatures and slower growth rates.
There are a lot of special considerations for razor clam harvesting!
See more info here.
Butter clam
Butter clams are oval and flattened in shape with thick, chalky shells up to 5 inches in length. The shell has concentric rings only, no lines radiate from the hinge. Shells are white to grey or yellow in color, and blue or pink staining may be present. Butter clams are heavy for their size. The tip of the siphon is black. Butter clams are buried up to 18 inches deep in sand, gravel or cobble and they occur from the mid-intertidal to subtidal zones.
Minimum size 1½ inches measured across longest distance of the shell. Daily combined limit of all clam species (excluding HORSE CLAMS and GEODUCKS) no more than 40 clams, not to exceed 10 pounds in the shell.
Mussels
Purple-black, long shells. They're often found on beach surfaces and clinging to rocks.
No min. size. Daily limit 10 lbs. in shell.
Clamming gear list
& how-to
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VALID SHELLFISHING LICENSE
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ID
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Shovel/trowel
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Bucket or cooler (recommend a backpack cooler if beach is at the end of a hike!)
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Mesh bag (for your own catch, if you're sharing a bucket or cooler with others)
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Ruler or shellfish gauge
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Scale (if harvesting larger clam species)
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Sturdy waterproof shoes
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Waterproof gloves (it's easy to cut your hands with sharp oyster shells!)
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Oyster knife (if oystering)
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Ziplock bag (if oystering)
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Water
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Hat and sunscreen
One of the first things you should look up when planning a shellfishing trip is to go here to look up the dates with the best tides. The orange, green, and purple times are all good clamming times!
Once you are at the beach, be mindful of your surroundings -- don't go near the water if it's stormy, and if there is lightning -- don't risk it and please go home!
Fill your bucket with seawater. Look for clam "show" -- small holes in the mud. start digging a little bit away from the hole so that you don't damage the clam. Once you find a clam, make sure it's legal size and gently set it in your bucket. That's it!
For steamer clams (manila and littleneck), be sure to take home some clear sea water to purge them of sand and grit. Clean them off of dirt and mud and set them in the water. Be sure to soak them for 4 hours~overnight in the fridge before cooking!
Recipes
A few of my favorites for cooking wild shellfish!
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Oysters Rockefeller (cook them in ramekins or small pan -- since you should have shucked them on the beach!)