Big Razor Clams, And Lots Of ‘Em Also Reported On Oregon’s North Coast

The Washington Coast isn’t the only place expected to host a solid razor clam season.

ODFW is reporting “high” numbers and “large” clams on Clatsop County beaches ahead of their Oct. 1 reopener.

“Razor clams this year average just under 4 inches with a tremendous amount of clams over 4 inches,” the agency said in a press release this morning.

The news comes as Oregon shellfish managers also announced that their beaches coastwide will reopen to nonresident clammers effective Oct. 7, though diggers are asked to maintain 6 feet of separation from those not of the same household.

And it follows on word that razor clam populations on the north side of the Columbia are “much greater than last year, which was already at a historic (25-year) high,” according to WDFW manager Dan Ayres, as quoted by Mark Yuasa in an October 2020 Northwest Sportsman story.

According to ODFW, last winter saw “good survival rates of juveniles, contributing to this year’s high abundance and mature larger-sized razor clams. Juvenile recruitment was also high this year, so clammers can expect good numbers of one and two-year-old razor clams.”

While the bivalves occur up and down the Oregon Coast, 19 out of 20 are harvested on the 18 miles of beach between the South Jetty of the Columbia and Tillamook Head.

But they can also be found in the sands north and south of Newport – on Agate and South Beaches and around the North Jetty – plus Cannon and Yachats Beaches and Cape Meares, per ODFW.

As always, check ahead for marine toxin closures via Oregon’s shellfish hotline, 800-448-2472, and state Department of Agriculture’s Recreational Shellfish page. ODFW also posts notices to its Clamming and Crabbing Report.