Shellfish / Open-Coast Clam
Shellfish: Open-Coast Clam
Siliqua patula
Opens Oct 151d out
Open
Oct 1 – Jul 15
Best
Jan–Mar
spent
May–Jun
Firm full winter meat carries stored reserves; broadcast spawning peaks in spring and early summer, leaving flesh watery and spent before the mid-July close.
signal · Domoic-acid results (the dominant Clatsop closure driver), surf-zone water temp, condition index. (modeled)
Plate No. 034 · Finley & Bohlman
Managed, mind the rules
Every clam you dig you keep (no reburying the small ones), so dig only to your limit, and mind the seasonal closures that let the beds rebuild.
The read
Long varnished oval shell on open surf beaches. Dug on minus tides.
The event: A good minus tide, and the beach open to digging.
Field notes
Open surf beaches on a minus tide (lower is better). Spot the 'show' (a dimple or keyhole as the clam withdraws) and dig fast on the seaward side with a clam gun or narrow shovel; they descend surprisingly quickly.
Keep them alive and cold: a razor clam that dies or warms goes soft and off within hours. A good clam has a tight, glossy shell and a siphon that still reacts to touch. Bigger isn't better: the largest can be tough, and mid-size dig cleaner with less breakage. On the beach, hold them in a mesh bag in cool seawater, never a sealed bucket, and process the same day. The digger muscle should be firm, white, and sweet-smelling.
Unmistakable in shape: a long, varnished oval. The catch is legality, not ID: confirm the beach is open every trip.
Oregon shellfish license (12+, ~$10). Dug on minus tides.
15 razor clams/day and you must keep the first 15 you dig (no high-grading); each digger uses their own gear and container. Clatsop beaches closed Jul 15–Sep 30. Always confirm the beach is open with ODFW before you dig.
Blanch 10 seconds, shuck, snip the tip and zipper, and remove the dark gills and stomach. Lightly pound the digger muscle. Quick, high-heat fry in panko; overcooking turns them to rubber.
Where to find it
What we watch: live feeds
What informs Pacific Razor Clam in particular. The shared feeds it reads (tides, weather, water temp) are the live feeds above.
ODA shellfish closures: ArcGIS FeatureServer · Machine-readable open/closed status for clams & mussels by coast zone, as polygons with a coded Status field.
Event (~2×/mo) · JSON, no key. ESRI IDs rotate; anchor on dashboard item metadata, not raw URL.
NOAA CO-OPS Tides & Currents API · Tides, minus-tide clamming windows, Yaquina water temp. Stations: Yaquina 9435380, Garibaldi 9437540, Netarts 9437262, Nehalem 9437908.
6-min obs; preds years ahead · No key. Filter lows < 0.0 ft for minus tides. Water-temp product discontinued after 2024 at many stations.