Statewide Harvest Rules | Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife

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Recreational Shellfishing

Statewide Harvest Rules

AREA	SPECIES	SEASON	ADDITIONAL RULES
ABALONE
ALL AREAS	PINTO	CLOSED	Surveys show a continued decline in numbers of all size abalone. The closure is necessary to allow recovery of stocks.
CLAMS, OTHER THAN RAZOR CLAMS
Caution: Check here for Shellfish Safety and Department of Health contact information. Clams can be dug by hand or hand-operated fork, pick, rake, or shovel. Each digger must use a separate container. Digging equipment may be shared. Clam holes must be refilled. To reduce clam mortality, please push any undersized clams into the refilled hole.
PUBLIC BEACHES	GEODUCKS	Year-round except as noted on the Public Beach List	No min. size. Daily limit first 3 dug. It is unlawful to thrust any instrument through the neck of a geoduck. It is unlawful to possess only the neck of a geoduck.
	HORSE CLAMS		No min. size. Daily limit fi rst 7 dug regardless of condition.
	ALL OTHER SPECIES (Listed below)		Daily limit no more than 40 clams, not to exceed 10 lbs. in the shell, all species combined (excluding HORSE CLAMS and GEODUCKS). For species with a minimum size, measure across longest distance of shell.
	NATIVE LITTLENECKS		Min. size 1½".
	MANILAS		Min. size 1½".
	BUTTERS		Min. size 1½".
	COCKLES		Min. size 1½".
	EASTERN SOFTSHELLS		No min. size. Must be retained regardless of size or condition
	ALL OTHER MARINE CLAMS		No min. size.
ALL FRESH WATER AREAS	ALL SPECIES	CLOSED
RAZOR CLAMS
See Razor Clam site for more information. Razor clam seasons occur only after clam samples have been tested by Washington Department of Health (DOH) and are found to be safe for human consumption.
COASTAL BEACHES	ALL SPECIES	TO BE ANNOUNCED Current Razor Clam season information	No min. size. Daily limit first 15 dug regardless of size or condition. Each limit must be in a separate container.
May only be taken by hand, hand-operated shovel, or tube with a minimum outside diameter of 4" (4" x 3" if elliptical). All clams dug are part of digger’s limit - you may not return any razor clams to the beach or water. It is illegal to drive any vehicle or to lead or ride a horse on razor clam beds (westerly of a line 150' waterward of the extreme upper limit of the hard sand area). Pressure from weight of vehicles and digging action of horses’ hooves cause clam mortality. The person with a disability for whom razor clams are being dug must be in line of sight of the designated harvester or within ¼ mile of the digging site. Both the digger and the person with a disability must be licensed. The person with a disability must have a designated harvester card. The designated harvester must have the designated harvester card in their possession while assisting the person with a disability. (See page 15).
AREA	SPECIES	SEASON	ADDITIONAL RULES
CRAB
See Recreational Crab Fishing site for crabbing information, seasons and harvest rules. For crab catching equipment specifications check Statewide gear rules.
CRAYFISH (Crawfish)
ALL WATERS	NATIVE SPECIES	1st Mon. in May-Oct. 31	Min. size 3¼" from tip of rostrum (nose) to tip of tail. Daily limit 10 lbs in shell. All females with eggs or young attached must be immediately returned to the water unharmed. No Shellfish/Seaweed license is required. See Statewide gear rules.
	NONNATIVE SPECIES	1st Mon. in May-Oct. 31	Must be kept in a separate container. Must be dead before being removed from riparian area (immediate vicinity of water body). No daily limit, size, or sex restrictions. No Shellfish/Seaweed license is required. See Statewide gear rules.
There is only one native crayfish species in Washington – the signal crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus). This species can be identified by its uniform brownish coloration, white or light coloration of the claw joint ,and the smooth surface of its carapace and claws compared to that of nonnative species. Native crayfish are the only crayfi sh that may be removed from the vicinity of the waterbody alive. If you cannot positively identify your catch as a nonnative species, the daily limit and other restrictions listed above for native crayfish apply.
GOOSE BARNACLES
Caution: Check here for Shellfish Safety and Department of Health contact information.
PUGET SOUND PUBLIC BEACHES		Year-round	No min. size. Daily limit 10 lbs. whole or 5 lbs. barnacle stalks.
PACIFIC OCEAN BEACHES (outside Olympic National Park)		Nov. 1-Mar. 31	No min. size. Daily limit 10 lbs. whole or 5 lbs. barnacle stalks.
AREA	SPECIES	SEASON	ADDITIONAL RULES
MUSSELS
See Mussels site for more information. Same Seasons as CLAMS. Caution: Check here for Shellfish Safety and Department of Health contact information.
PUGET SOUND PUBLIC BEACHES	ALL SPECIES	Year-round except as noted on the Public Beach List	No min. size. Daily limit 10 lbs. in shell.
PACIFIC OCEAN BEACHES (outside Olympic National Park)	ALL SPECIES	Nov. 1-Mar. 31	No min. size. Daily limit 10 lbs. whole or 5 lbs. barnacle stalks.
ALL FRESH WATER AREAS	ALL SPECIES	CLOSED
OCTOPUS
Must be caught with hands or instrument which does not penetrate the OCTOPUS, except that octopus taken while angling with hook and line may be retained.
ALL WATERS except MARINE AREA 12	GIANT PACIFIC	Year-round	No min. size. Daily limit 1. NO CHEMICALS OR IRRITANTS ALLOWED.
MARINE AREA 12	ALL SPECIES	CLOSED
OYSTERS
See Oysters site for more information. Caution: Check here for Shellfish Safety and Department of Health contact information. OYSTERS may only be harvested by hand or with a hand-held manually operated prying tool (no hammers, etc.). Each harvester must use a separate container.
PUGET SOUND PUBLIC BEACHES	ALL SPECIES	Year-round except as noted on the Public Beach List	Min. size 2½" measured across longest distance of shell. Daily limit 18. OYSTERS must be shucked on the beach. OYSTERS consumed on the beach count toward a limit. Leave shells on the same tideland and tide height where they were taken.
AREA	SPECIES	SEASON	ADDITIONAL RULES
RELIC SHELLS
ALL AREAS	ALL SPECIES	Year-round All beaches	Daily limit is 5 pounds of all species combined. Excludes OYSTER shells.
SAND SHRIMP
PUBLIC BEACHES	ALL SPECIES	Year-round	No min. size. Daily limit 10 dozen. May be harvested only by hand or by handoperated suction devices only.
SCALLOPS
Caution: Check here for Shellfish Safety and Department of Health contact information.
ALL WATERS	PINK AND SPINY	Year-round	No min. size. Daily limit 5 qts. or 10 lbs. in shell combined limit for both species. May be harvested only by hand or with a hand-held manually operated prying tool.
	WEATHERVANE		Min. size 4". Daily limit 12. Measure across longest distance of the shell.
	ROCK		No min. size. Daily limit 6. Hammers or mallets may not be used to harvest rock scallops.
SEA CUCUMBERS
Caution: Check here for Shellfish Safety and Department of Health contact information.
ALL WATERS except MARINE AREA 12	CALIFORNIA	Year-round	All other SEA CUCUMBERS species are unclassified marine invertebrates. See rules for unclassified marine invertebrates (below).
MARINE AREA 12	ALL SPECIES	CLOSED
AREA	SPECIES	SEASON	ADDITIONAL RULES
SEA URCHINS
ALL WATERS	GREEN	Year-round	No min. size. Daily limit 36.
	PURPLE	Year-round	No min. size. Daily limit 18.
	RED	Year-round	No min. size. Daily limit 18.
SEAWEED
(Many county and city parks have additional rules or closures. Please check local regulations before harvesting).
ALL AREAS	ALL SPECIES	Year-round	Daily limit 10 lbs. wet weight. Illegal to harvest any SEAWEED if herring eggs are attached.
All State Park beaches are closed to SEAWEED harvest except Fort Flagler, Fort Ebey, and Fort Worden State Parks, which are open to SEAWEED harvest from April 16-May 15 only. SEAWEED harvesting in State Parks is limited to posted park hours and special State Park rules below: Bull kelp must be cut a minimum of 24" above the bulb and short stemmed kelps must be cut a minimum of 12" above the anchor point. The anchor point must be left in place at all times. Only a knife or similar instrument may be used to harvest SEAWEED. Tearing the plant and use of tined instruments such as rakes or forks is prohibited. Each harvester must use their own container. Multiple limits may not be combined in the same container. Each harvester must use a scale to determine when the harvest limit has been reached. Drying or partial drying prior to weighing is prohibited.
SHRIMP
See Recreational Shrimp Fishing site for shrimp information, seasons and harvest rules. For shrimp catching equipment specifications check Statewide gear rules.
SQUID
See Recreational Squid Fishing site for squid information.
ALL WATERS except MARINE AREA 12	ALL SPECIES	Year-round	No min. size. Daily limit 5 qts. or 10 lbs., plus up to 5 HUMBOLDT SQUID. Legal gear is a forage fish jig, a maximum of 4 squid lures, forage fish dip net, or a hand dip net. Each harvester must have a separate container.
MARINE AREA 12	ALL SPECIES	CLOSED
UNCLASSIFIED MARINE INVERTEBRATES
ALL AREAS	ALL SPECIES	CLOSED
Some of the more popular types of these species are: Moon Snails, Nudibranchs, Graceful crab, kelp crab, starfish, sand dollars, shore crab, snails