Head to the Shores With a salt water canal at its center and a myriad of lakes, waterfalls and streams surrounding the inner fingers of Puget Sound – this area is rich in aquaculture and water related opportunities. It’s time to start planning your outdoor adventures!
If you harvest clams or oysters, make sure to keep them on ice or eat them soon after harvest. DOH advises that shellfish recreationally harvested from June through September, should be cooked thoroughly to avoid illness from Vibriosis. It is best practice to read posted warnings or call the Marine Toxins/PSP Hotline: 1-800-562-5632 for a recorded message that is updated regularly. Visit the Shellfish Safety Map at doh. wa.gov/ShellfishSafety. There is also a mobile friendly version of the map at doh.wa.gov/shellfishmobilemap. Clam and oyster season are beach specific and may change annually. Always Check BEFORE you dig.
South Puget Sound
Hope Island State Park, Boat access only. Oysters are incidental at this site but clamming can be quite good. This beach is a very popular place to dig for geoducks. A tide lower than -2.0 feet is best for geoducks. Most of the oysters are on the west side of the island near the south end. The season only open for the month of May. North Bay – Abundant Manila clams and an enhanced oyster bed. The season here is short and locked into May and September under terms of a shoreline agreement. Oakland Bay Tideland, – Open year-round, good shore access with parking. Manila clams and oysters can be found here.
Hood Canal
Belfair State Park – Excellent beach for oysters and Manila clams can be found here. Potlatch State Park – Seasonally open - oysters and a variety of clam species. Clams, mussels and oysters open April 1 through August 31 Lilliwaup State Park – Open year-round, excellent for oysters and native clams. Clamming
Shellfish Gathering Prepare yourself with buckets, boots, license and check the tides & harvest map. Local State Parks support a healthy stock of clams and oysters for license holders – free for the taking! PHOTO: Tom Michalski | Beach tours with Sea Grant guides and U-Pick oysters & clam gathering at Hama Hama’s Oyster Rama.
is difficult due to the cobble substrate, but the beach is abundant with butter clams. Rendsland Creek – Open year-round, excellent for oysters and a variety of clams can be found here although not in great densities. Twanoh State Park – Open year-round for oysters and seasonally for clams, check season before harvesting. Good beach for Manila clams. DNR 33, 47 & 48 – Are boat access only beaches, open year-round for clams and oysters. Eagle Creek – Open year-round for oysters and seasonally for clams, check seasons before harvesting. This is an excellent oyster beach. Triton Cove State Park – There is very little clam resource on this beach, but there are good numbers of year-round oysters. Dosewallips State Park – This is an excellent beach for clams. The best areas are in the mid-upper tidal zone in mixed sand and gravel substrate. Productive digging is also found around and among the oysters, an area often overlooked by harvesters. Please take care not to cover oysters with sand and mud as this will potentially kill the oysters.
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