Digging into fall: Coast’s favorite sport now underway
Published 2:53 pm Sunday, October 12, 2025
LONG BEACH PENINSULA — Colorful sunsets, calm tides and fast limits greeted clammers for the first round of recreational razor clam digs of the 2025 fall season last week along the Long Beach Peninsula, drawing thousands to local beaches for their first digging opportunity since spring.
Local resident Frank Warner was among the successful participants, digging his 15-clam limit in a matter of minutes just before sunset on Tuesday, Oct. 7 in Ocean Park. WDFW had approved the seven-day late-afternoon/evening low tide series with digging opportunities Monday, Oct. 6 to Sunday, Oct. 12.
Using a stainless steel clam gun, Warner walked the shoreline gently tapping the tip of his gun against the sand to produce a show, or a dimple in the sand indicating a clam below. Clam shows — created when a clam has withdrawn its neck or started to dig — often leave a dimple, keyhole or donut-shape in the sand, a signature mark for any discerning digger.
Next set
The next series of digs for Long Beach is tentatively scheduled to begin Monday, Oct. 20, contingent on safe marine toxin levels:
Oct. 20, Monday, 6:40 p.m.; 0.2 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis
Oct. 21, Tuesday, 7:13 p.m.; -0.1 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis
Oct. 22, Wednesday, 7:45 p.m.; -0.3 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
Oct. 23, Thursday, 8:18 p.m.; -0.3 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
Oct. 24, Friday, 8:53 p.m.; -0.1 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis
Oct. 25, Saturday, 9:31 p.m.; 0.1 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis
Oct. 26, Sunday, 10:15 p.m.; 0.5 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks
Season prospects
WDFW estimates 1.25 million clams were harvested on the peninsula during the total of 96,000 digging days individuals spent on the beach. The average daily harvest per digger was 12.7 clams.
In WDFW’s Twin Harbors harvest area between the mouth of Willapa Bay and Westport, 1.27 million clams were dug on 98,000 trips to the beach. The average daily harvest was the same as in the Long Beach-Ocean Park area.
There were 109 digging days on the south coast last season, compared to an average of 56 days on the peninsula in recent years and 53 days in the Twin Harbors area.
For the 2025-26 season, WDFW estimates there are 5.5 million clams in peninsula sands that are large enough — 3 inches or more — to qualify as harvestable. This is the lowest total in the past five years, compared to an average of 10.7 million. However, the average is skewed by the enormous totals of 21.6 million in 2021-22 and 14.7 million in 2022-23. There were 6 million each in 2023-24 and 2024-25.
As usual, WDFW’s stock assessment found Ocean Park and Leadbetter with by far the highest clam concentration. This is the area centered on mile 24 of the beach — the farthest north end.
“The average size of the Long Beach recruit clams found in our 2025 survey was 4.38 inches,” WDFW said. “This compares to the average size in our 2024 survey of 3.87 inches; 2023 average of 4.04 inches; 2022 of 4.51 inches; 2021 of 4.35 inches; 2020 of 4.30 inches; 2019 average of 3.68 inches; 2018 average of 4.2 inches; 2017 average of 4.5; 2016 average of 4.3; 2015 average of 4.0 inches; and the 2014 average of 3.8 inches.”
For Twins Harbors in north Pacific/south Grays Harbor, the estimated 2025-26 harvestable total is 5.1 million, compared to the five-year average of 5.7 million.
“Diggers will find good razor clam populations on most of the Twin Harbors beach, with mid-beach digging looking to be the most concentrated,” WDFW said.
“The average size of the Twin Harbors recruit clams found in our summer 2025 survey was 4.14 inches. This compares to 4.0 inches in 2024; 4.2 inches in 2023; 4.6 inches in 2022; 4.2 in 2021; 4.2 in 2020; 4.3 in 2019; 3.9 in 2018; 3.9 inches in 2017; and 4.4 inches in 2016,” the agency said.
The agency estimates razor clamming generated $46 million coast-wide in economic activity last season, compared to the recent 10-year average of $36 million.