ODOT release – ASTORIA, Ore.—Razor clamming will reopen on Clatsop Beach (from Tillamook Head in Seaside to the mouth of the Columbia River) on Friday, March 1. This area had been closed to protect undersize clams and give them a chance to grow, after 2018 fall surveys found mostly small clams with shell lengths between 2-3 inches. “The small razor clams on Clatsop Beach we observed this fall have grown at a rate we anticipated,” said ODFW Shellfish Biologist Matt Hunter. “Currently, the dominant size of clams is between 3.5 and 3.75 inches with few larger clams available. As the spring progresses and we get longer days, more food will be available and the clams will continue to grow.” Clatsop Beach is Oregon’s most popular area for razor clamming and can be open Oct. 1-July 14 each year, provided ODA testing finds clams are safe to eat. Recent tests show razor clams from Clatsop Beach are safe to consume. Call ODA’s Shellfish safety information hotline at (800) 448-2474 or visit ODA’s Recreational Shellfish Safety Page or ODFW’s Recreation Report to check for any closures before clamming or crabbing.
