Three day clam opener set for this weekend

Razor clam diggers can return to various ocean beaches for a three-day opening beginning Saturday.

State shellfish managers with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife approved the dig on morning low tides after marine toxin tests showed the clams are safe to eat.

The upcoming dig is approved on the following beaches, dates, and low tides:

•       April 6, Saturday, 8:05 a.m.; 0.3 feet; Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
•       April 7, Sunday, 8:42 a.m.; 0.1 feet; Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
•       April 8, Monday, 9:20 a.m.; 0.0 feet; Mocrocks

Beachgoers should note a change from the tentative schedule announced earlier as shellfish managers canceled the April 6 dig at Copalis and replaced it with a dig just down the road at Mocrocks.

“Our razor clam-loving population has been hitting Copalis beach hard in recent months,” said Dan Ayres, WDFW coastal shellfish manager. “Based on our projections, we need to make this shift to ensure a healthy population of razor clams for the fall and coming years.”

Ayres recommends that diggers hit the beach about an hour or two before low tide for the best results.

All diggers age 15 or older must have an applicable 2019-20 fishing license to harvest razor clams on any beach.

2018-19 licenses will no longer be valid for this dig.

Licenses, ranging from a three-day razor clam license to an annual combination fishing license, are available on WDFW’s website and from license vendors around the state.

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.

The WDFW says razor clam digs support outdoor lifestyles and coastal economies.