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Tentative schedule released for fall razor clam season, set to begin in early October

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has released a tentative schedule of proposed razor clam digs on coastal beaches for the last few months of the year. (Toni L. Bailey / Olympian)
By Logan Stanley Olympian

A tentative schedule for the fall razor clam season has been announced by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

The season is slated to begin in early October. According to the news release, final approval of the schedule opening depends on the results of marine toxin tests that usually occur about a week before the season is scheduled to open.

The tentative schedule sets Oct. 11 as the opening day. The fall season will go until Dec. 23.

“We’re releasing a tentative schedule to give people plenty of time to make plans to go digging this fall,” Dan Ayres, coastal shellfish manager for WDFW, said in a news release.

The WDFW estimates the total razor clam population on most Washington’s beaches has increased significantly from last season, based on beach surveys conducted this summer. The lone exception is Long Beach, an area that is recovering after a decline in clam survival due to low salinity in 2017, according to the news release.

WDFW is working with staff at Olympic National Park to assess possible digging dates on Kalaloch beach, Ayres said.

To see the full schedule and additional information about the fall season, head here.