Razor Clam Digging in Washington and Oregon: Dates, Tides, Rules

Razor clamming is the most democratic fishery on the Pacific coast. No boat, no electronics, no secret spots. You need a license, a shovel or a tube, a bucket, and a low tide. What you don’t get to choose is the date. In Washington, the state picks the days. In Oregon, the beach is usually open but the toxin testing can shut it with a phone call.

This guide covers how both states actually run the fishery, so you can plan the trip around the right tide instead of finding out at the beach approach that the dig was canceled.

When is the next razor clam dig in Washington?

Washington does not have a razor clam “season” in the sense of an open calendar. Every dig is a discrete opener, beach by beach, approved one series at a time. According to the WDFW razor clam page, a dig is announced only after two things happen: the WDFW Director approves the harvest dates, and the Washington Department of Health confirms the clams are safe to eat.

The safety test is the gate. Before a beach opens, the Department of Health requires two samples taken seven to 10 days apart, both under the guideline for domoic acid, a natural algae toxin. That testing usually wraps up about a week or less before a dig series starts, which is why final approvals arrive on short notice.

The general pattern WDFW describes:

• Openers are set roughly monthly from October through May.
• Digs are scheduled first around weekend low tides, then weekdays where the tides allow.
• Fall and winter digs run on afternoon and evening low tides, limited to noon to midnight. After mid-March, the best low tides shift to the morning.
• Tentative dates get published ahead of the season, then confirmed (or postponed) series by series.

This fall shows how fast it moves. The first planned digs in early October were postponed for a domoic acid spike. Then, on Oct. 20, 2026, WDFW approved four days at Copalis and Mocrocks from Oct. 26 to 29, all on evening low tides between minus 1.2 and minus 1.5 feet. Long Beach and Twin Harbors stayed postponed because toxin levels there were still over the guideline.

The practical rule: treat tentative dates as a reason to keep the weekend open, not a reason to book a room. Check the razor clam page and the WDFW emergency rules page the day before and the day of.

Washington razor clam beaches

WDFW manages five recreational beaches on the outer coast. Three are co-managed with coastal tribes, and on those the allowable catch is split evenly between state and tribal harvest.

Beach	Boundaries (per WDFW)	Notes
Long Beach	Columbia River north to the mouth of Willapa Bay	The longest stretch; easy access from Seaview and Ocean Park
Twin Harbors	Willapa Bay north to the south jetty at Grays Harbor	Grayland and Westport area
Copalis	North jetty at Grays Harbor to the Copalis River	Ocean Shores area; co-managed
Mocrocks	Copalis River to the Quinault Indian Reservation boundary	Moclips and Pacific Beach; co-managed
Kalaloch	South Beach campground north to ONP Beach Trail 3	Inside Olympic National Park; co-managed, opens less often

Each beach opens independently. A single announcement might open Mocrocks on Monday, Copalis on Tuesday, and leave Long Beach closed all week. Read the beach column, not just the date.

WDFW sets the total allowable catch on each beach at 30 to 40 percent of the recruit-sized clams (over 3 inches), depending on how strong the population survey looks. For 2026-27, the agency expects fewer digging days on Copalis and Mocrocks because those populations are lower than in recent years.

If you drive on the beach, the speed limit is 25 mph. Stay on the hard-packed sand near the high tide line, and don’t park on the beach approaches.

Razor clam digging rules in Washington State

The core rules from WDFW:

• License: Diggers 16 and older need a razor clam license, a shellfish/seaweed license, or a combination license. As of WDFW’s current fee table, effective Jan. 1, 2026, an annual razor clam license is $17.44 for residents and $28.07 for nonresidents, and a 3-day razor clam license is $11.79.
• Limit: 15 clams per person per day.
• Keep the first 15: You must retain the first 15 razor clams you dig, regardless of size or condition. No sorting, no tossing back small or broken clams.
• Your own container: Each digger keeps their clams in a separate container. You can share a shovel; you can’t share a limit.
• Tools: A clam shovel or a clam tube (often called a clam gun).
• Only on open beaches: Digging a closed beach can earn a fine. Check the map and the signs.

The keep-the-first-15 rule is the one that trips up first-timers. A broken clam is part of your limit, so dig cleanly. That is where technique matters more than effort.

Oregon razor clam season and rules

Oregon runs the fishery differently. Per ODFW’s shellfish regulations, beaches are open to razor clamming all year, 24 hours a day, with two exceptions: biotoxin closures, and the annual conservation closure in Clatsop County.

• Clatsop beaches: Razor clamming is closed July 15 through Sept. 30 north of Tillamook Head. That 18 miles of beach between Seaside and the Columbia River produces about 90 percent of Oregon’s razor clams, according to ODFW’s start-clamming guide. The closure has run every year since 1967 to let young clams settle.
• Limit: First 15 dug. No sorting or releasing.
• Own container, own digging: Each digger digs their own clams and keeps them in their own container.
• License: Everyone 12 and older needs a shellfish license. ODFW’s recreational fee schedule lists the 2026 resident annual shellfish license at $13, nonresident annual at $37, and nonresident 3-day at $25, agent fee included.

Biotoxins are the bigger variable in Oregon. The Oregon Department of Agriculture tracks domoic acid and posts status on its shellfish closures page. As of its Oct. 19, 2026 update, razor clamming was closed coastwide, Washington border to California border, for domoic acid, while bay clams and mussels were open. Call the shellfish safety hotline at 1-800-448-2474 before any trip; levels can change quickly.

What tide is best for razor clamming?

Minus tides. The lower the water, the more of the flat, wave-washed lower beach is exposed, and that lower beach is where the clams are. ODFW puts it simply: the best clamming is during the lowest tides, and negative tides are best.

WDFW’s timing advice is specific: the most successful digging happens between one and two hours before the listed time of low tide. Arrive early, be on the sand as the water is still dropping, and you’ll often have a limit before the low.

A few patterns worth knowing:

• Fall and winter: The big minus tides fall in the afternoon and evening, which is why Washington’s October through mid-March digs are evening digs. Bring a headlamp or lantern and layers.
• Spring: After mid-March the best lows shift to the morning, and digs follow them.
• Surf matters: A minus tide with a big swell still pushes water up the beach. A calm, low surf day on a modest minus tide can dig better than a deep minus tide in rough surf.
• Read the tide for your beach: Times shift along the coast. Use the tide station nearest the beach you’re digging, not one from a bay inside it.

Shovel vs. clam gun

Both tools are legal in both states. The choice is mostly about your back and your sand.

Clam shovel. Narrow, angled blade. Find a show (the dimple or keyhole a clam leaves in the sand), place the blade a few inches toward the ocean side of it, and dig straight down in one or two quick strokes, then reach in. Razor clams dig downward fast, so speed matters. A skilled shovel digger breaks fewer clams, which matters under the keep-the-first-15 rule.

Clam gun (tube). ODFW describes it as a plastic or stainless steel tube about 4 to 5 inches in diameter and a couple of feet tall. Center it over the show, work it down into the sand, cover the vent hole, and pull up a core of sand with the clam inside. Easier for beginners and kids, but harder going in dry or packed sand.

Either way, look for shows in the wet, wave-washed zone just above the water line, and tap the sand with a shovel handle or your foot. A clam pulling in will often dimple the surface right in front of you.

Biotoxin closures and how to check them

Domoic acid is why digs get canceled. It comes from certain marine algae, accumulates in razor clams, and is not destroyed by cooking or freezing. Both states test before opening and close beaches when levels exceed health guidelines. Recent Washington seasons show the range: 2020-21 closed early, 2022-23 had a late fall and winter closure, and 2021-22, 2024-25, and 2025-26 stayed open all season, per WDFW.

Before a dig:

1. Washington: Check the WDFW razor clam page and emergency rules. The Department of Health also maintains a shellfish safety map that covers beaches statewide.
2. Oregon: Check the ODA shellfish closures page or call 1-800-448-2474.
3. Recheck the morning of. A confirmed dig can still be canceled if a new sample comes back high.

Check it in Baseline Maps

Baseline Maps puts the Washington razor clam dig schedule, beach-by-beach status, and a WA and OR biotoxin closure map next to the tide tables, and the tide planner can mark the two-hour dig window ahead of each low. Check it the night before, then once more before you leave the house. First week free on the annual plan, then $34.99/year or $7.99/month.

Download on the App Store · Get it on Google Play