The next razor clam dig will open at Twin Harbors on Thursday if tests show clams are safe to eat.
This dig will be the last of the season at evening low tides. It also includes two nights of digging after the switch to daylight saving time.
A dig scheduled for March 28-31 will be the first at morning tides.
Here are the dates, low-tide times and the open beaches for upcoming digs:
Thursday: 3:06 p.m., 0.3 feet, Twin Harbors
Friday: 4:01 p.m., 0 feet, Twin Harbors
Saturday: 4:50 p.m., -0.2 feet, Twin Harbors, Long Beach, Copalis and Mocrocks
Daylight Saving Time begins
March 10: 6:33 p.m., -0.2 feet, Twin Harbors, Long Beach, Copalis and Mocrocks
March 11: 7:12 p.m., 0 feet, Twin Harbors
Switch to morning tides
March 28: 7:57 a.m., -0.3 feet, Twin Harbors
March 29: 8:40 a.m., -0.6 feet, Twin Harbors, Long Beach, Copalis and Mocrocks
March 30: 9:26 a.m., -0.7 feet, Twin Harbors, Long Beach, Copalis and Mocrocks
March 31: 10:16 a.m., -0.6 feet, Twin Harbors
This week’s dig comes on the heels of a wet but successful two-day dig at Long Beach and Twin Harbors, said Dan Ayres, coastal shellfish manager for the state Department of Fish and Wildlife.
The dig Feb. 23-24 attracted more than 7,500 people, despite very high surf conditions and cold temperatures.
“The surf was up and it was cold, but it was also sunny and a nice February day,” Ayres said. “Some folks did report getting ‘rolled’ in the surf and many were pretty wet.”
Despite those conditions, diggers averaged more than 9 clams a person at Long Beach and more than 12 clams a person at Twin Harbors.
Looking at harvest numbers from digs from this season, Ayres said there still are clams for harvesting.
Copalis has had the highest harvest rate so far, with 40.3 percent of the state’s allowable catch harvested so far.
At Long Beach, the harvest has taken 39.6 percent, at Mocrocks the harvest has taken 32.8 percent of the clams and at Twin Harbors 27 percent of the clams have been harvested.
“We still have plenty of clams for the spring morning tide digs coming down the road,” Ayres said.
As a reminder, all diggers age 15 or older must have an applicable 2012-13 fishing license to harvest razor clams on any beach.
Licenses, ranging from a three-day razor clam license to an annual combination fishing license, are available from license vendors around the state or at fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov.
Find a list of vendors at wdfw.wa.gov/licensing/vendors.
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