Heads up, shellfish fans — if you’re heading to the beach this spring, there are some important new rules to know about. 🐚
As of April 1, WDFW rolled out two big changes for recreational shellfish harvesting statewide. The minimum size for cockles jumped from 1½ inches to 2½ inches, giving more cockles a chance to reach reproductive age. And the geoduck daily limit dropped from 3 per person to just 1 per person per day — a move to protect those slow-recovering intertidal populations.
For Hood Canal harvesters, mark your calendars: Twanoh State Park near Union opens for clam digging May 15 through June 15, with oyster season running through September 30. But heads up — beach access at Twanoh will close after clam season for a shoreline restoration project, and campsite reservations are shut down from June 1 through spring 2027. Meanwhile, Lake Cushman is still in its spring drawdown, so boat launches won’t be usable until closer to Memorial Day when the water comes back up.
Know before you go — always check both the WDFW season status AND the Department of Health biotoxin map before harvesting. Stay safe out there and enjoy the spring weather. 🌊
Sources: WDFW Shellfish News Release | WDFW Twanoh Beach Page | WA State Parks: Twanoh | WDFW: Lake Cushman
Leave a Reply