Submitted by The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW)
Razor clam diggers can mark the year’s end with digs scheduled December 30 and 31 at Copalis and Mocrocks beaches.
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) approved the two-day dig after marine toxin tests confirmed the clams on those two beaches are safe to eat.
“Diggers can fill their buckets just in time for the new year,” said Dan Ayres, coastal shellfish manager for WDFW.
The best digging typically occurs one to two hours before low tide, said Ayres, noting that digging is not allowed at any open beach before noon.
The upcoming dig is approved on the following beaches, dates and evening low tides:
- Dec. 30, Friday, 7:22 p.m.; -0.4 feet; Copalis, Mocrocks
- Dec. 31, Saturday; 7:57 p.m.; -0.4 feet; Copalis, Mocrocks
Diggers can also start planning for openings in January and February. WDFW recently announced a series of tentative digs on 19 dates through the first two months of 2017. That list can be found on WDFW’s website at http://www.wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/shellfish/razorclams/current.html.
Under state law, diggers at open beaches can take 15 razor clams per day and are required to keep the first 15 they dig. Each digger’s clams must be kept in a separate container.
All diggers age 15 or older must have an applicable 2016-17 fishing license to harvest razor clams on any beach. Licenses, ranging from a three-day razor clam license to an annual combination fishing license, are available on WDFW’s website at https://www.fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov and from license vendors around the state.
