LONG BEACH, Wash. – The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has given clam diggers a green light to proceed with an evening razor-clam dig that starts Thursday at Twin Harbors and expands to four other ocean beaches during the next two days.

Twin Harbors, which has the highest number of clams available for harvest, will be open for digging Thursday through Saturday. The four other beaches, Copalis, Mocrocks, Long Beach and Kalaloch, will be open for two days of digging, Friday and Saturday.

 No digging will be allowed before noon on any of the five razor-clam beaches. Dan Ayres, coastal shellfish manager for the WDFW, recommends that diggers arrive at the beach about an hour before low tide for the biggest clams.

Evening low tides during the upcoming dig will be at 5:53 p.m. (-0.9 feet) Feb. 17; 6:33 p.m. (-0.9 feet) Feb. 18; and 7:13 p.m. (-0.5 feet) Feb. 19. 

The National Park Service scheduled the dig at Kalaloch Beach, which is located within the Olympic National Park (ONP), to coincide with those at the other beaches. ONP Superintendent Karen Gustin also recommends that diggers take safety precautions during night digs, especially at Kalaloch.

“Kalaloch is considerably more remote than the other clamming beaches, and visitors should be prepared for primitive conditions,” she said. “With no streetlights or lighted buildings in the area, flashlights or lanterns are a necessity.”

All diggers age 15 or older must have an applicable 2010-11 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 on WDFW’s website at https://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov and from license vendors around the state.