End of The Year Razor Clam Dig Approved

OLYMPIA - State fishery managers have approved an end-of-the-year razor clam dig over four evenings, leading up to and including New Year’s Eve.

They also announced a tentative schedule for additional digs in 2013, subject to prior testing for marine toxins. Information about both confirmed and tentative digs are available at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/shellfish/razorclams/current.html.

The upcoming dig will begin Dec. 28 after noon at Twin Harbors and expand to include three other ocean beaches through Dec. 31.

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) confirmed the dig after marine toxin tests at all four beaches confirmed the clams are safe to eat. No digging will be allowed at any of those beaches until after noon.

“Razor clam digging on New Year’s Eve has become a tradition for many Washingtonians,” said Dan Ayres, WDFW coastal shellfish manager. “The tides aren’t conducive to a holiday dig every year, but they’re with us this year.”

In past years, as many as 20,000 people have descended on ocean beaches to dig razor clams on New Year’s Eve, Ayres said.

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The following beaches will be open for digging on the following schedule and evening low tides:

• · Dec. 28, Friday, 6:42 p.m., -0.3 ft., Twin Harbors
• · Dec. 29, Saturday, 7:15 p.m., -0.3 ft., Twin Harbors, Long Beach, Mocrocks
• · Dec. 30, Sunday, 7:47 p.m., -0.2 ft., Twin Harbors, Long Beach, Mocrocks, Copalis,
• · Dec. 31, Monday, 8:20 p.m., 0.0 ft., Twin Harbors, Long Beach, Mocrocks, Copalis

Ayres noted that the best digging occurs one to two hours prior to low tide.

Clam diggers are limited to 15 razor clams per day, and are required to keep the first 15 clams they dig. Each digger's clams must be kept in a separate container.

All diggers age 15 or older must have an applicable 2012-13 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://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov and from license vendors around the state.

Razor clam digs tentatively scheduled through February 2013 are:

• · Jan. 8, Tuesday, 3:44 p.m., -0.2 ft., Twin Harbors
• · Jan. 9, Wednesday, 4:38 p.m., -0.9 ft., Twin Harbors
• · Jan. 10, Thursday, 5:27 p.m., -1.3 ft., Twin Harbors, Long Beach, Copalis,
• · Jan. 11, Friday, 6:14 p.m., -1.6 ft., Twin Harbors, Long Beach, Copalis, Mocrocks
• · Jan. 12, Saturday, 6:58 p.m., -1.5 ft., Twin Harbors, Long Beach, Copalis, Mocrocks
• · Jan. 13, Sunday, 7:41 p.m., -1.2 ft., Twin Harbors
• · Jan. 14, Tuesday, 8:22 p.m., -0.6 ft., Twin Harbors

• · Jan. 25, Friday, 5:44 p.m., +0.0 ft., Long Beach, Twin Harbors
• · Jan. 26, Saturday, 6:18 p.m., -0.2 ft., Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis, Mocrocks
• · Jan. 27, Sunday, 6:50 p.m., -0.2 ft., Long Beach, Twin Harbors

• · Feb. 7, Thursday, 4:22 p.m., -0.5 ft., Twin Harbors
• · Feb. 8, Friday, 5:11 p.m., -0.9 ft., Twin Harbors, Long Beach, Copalis, Mocrocks
• · Feb. 9, Saturday, 5:56 p.m., -1.0 ft., Twin Harbors, Long Beach, Copalis, Mocrocks
• · Feb. 10, Sunday, 6:37 p.m., -0.9 ft., Twin Harbors, Long Beach
• · Feb. 11, Monday, 7:17 p.m., -0.5 ft., Twin Harbors
• · Feb. 12, Tuesday, 7:54 p.m., 0.0 ft., Twin Harbors

• · Feb. 23, Saturday, 5:12 p.m., +0.3 ft., Long Beach, Twin Harbors
• · Feb. 24, Sunday, 5:47 p.m., +0.1 ft., Long Beach, Twin Harbors 

Beaches in Washington with razor clam fisheries include:

Long Beach, which extends from the Columbia River to Leadbetter Point.

Twin Harbors Beach, which extends from the mouth of Willapa Bay north to the south jetty at the mouth of Grays Harbor.

Copalis Beach, which extends from the Grays Harbor north jetty to the Copalis River, and includes the Copalis, Ocean Shores, Oyhut, Ocean City and Copalis areas.

Mocrocks Beach, which extends from the Copalis River to the southern boundary of the Quinault Reservation near the Moclips River, including Iron Springs, Roosevelt Beach, Seabrook, Pacific Beach and Moclips.

Kalaloch Beach, which extends from the South Beach Campground to Brown’s Point (just south of Beach Trail 3) in the Olympic National Park.