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SHELLFISHING OPPORTUNITIES

Monthly recreation opportunities by region

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Series of articles details shellfishing opportunities in our state

The outdoors fits into everyone’s life in unique and personal ways, and we here at WDFW want to foster connections with and appreciation of nature and all forms of outdoor recreation through our Life Outdoors resources.

So we’re posting informative blogs each month on a variety of topics to help you and your loved ones find new and exciting ways to get out there.

This month’s articles focus on our state’s abundant opportunities for harvesting shellfish.

When the tide’s out, the table’s set

Here in Washington, we are lucky in that we can gather delicious, healthy seafood from publicly owned tidelands.

With over 350 open areas and about 275 low tides per year, there are near-endless opportunities to harvest on public lands. Our many varieties of bivalve shellfish are a good source of nutritious local protein.

In our four-part shellfish series, we have helpful information on shellfish identification; licenses; regulations; current seasons for various shellfish; water quality and closures; the state shellfish safety map; tide charts; gear lists; prepping shellfish to eat; recipes; and a wide range of links to other resources.

Read on to get started:

A happy digger shows off a pair of horse clams. (Kristina Wilkening)


Manilla and native littleneck clams
Butter and horse clams
Cockles and eastern softshell clams
Geoduck and varnish clams

For more blog posts, the Weekender Report of monthly recreational opportunities in your area, links to state and federal lands to explore, and how to share photos of your adventures with us to win prizes in our Life Outdoors photo contest, visit the Life Outdoors webpage:

Life Outdoors

We hope to see you in the field enjoying the Life Outdoors!


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