Shellfish Gathering

Shellfish Gathering Basics

Licenses:

• Yes - 15 years old and up.

• Basic shellfish license good for clams, razor clams, oysters, mussels, separate crab endorsement needed for Dungeness crab.  See WDFW pamphlet for fees and limits. Most beach parking areas will require Discover Pass

Equipment:

For clams and oysters: Boots, oyster knife, bucket(s) & oyster container, tide book, PC research, first aid kit, shovel or garden fork, license, dry clothes, 

Limits:

See WDFW rules.  Generally, 18 oysters per person, 40 clams (check size) 10 pounds mussels, 5 crab check size, species, sex See attachments for abbreviated limits.

When/Where:

Check WDFW web site for open beaches & locations.  Check tide book for dates and times of tides of + 2 feet or less at the beach you choose.  WDFW checks beaches regularly for contamination and will post on internet if beach closed plus at beach. 

Basic Approach:

Locate a desired beach from WDFW web site by county then look for time of low tides that are not greater than + 2 feet (lower is better) arrive 1 + hours before posted low tide, Discover Pass, take boots, buckets, shovel, oyster knife & look for locations to dig or shuck. Oysters will be visible, clam locations found by looking where others have dug and digging near them.  Cover your dig holes after digging. Leave oyster shells on beach after shucking. Put clams and mussels in bucket, rinse and keep in salt water until time to cook. Let clams clean overnight.

Cooking:

Boil clams (fresh water) until they open then remove from pan.  If clam does not open, discard. Rinse off shell bits from oysters.  See You Tube of recipes that work for you.