Razor clamming on the popular Clatsop County beaches reopens Oct. 1 after the annual conservation closure.

ODFW recommends people avoid harvesting and consuming softshell clams from the Alsea Bay estuary due to biotoxin risks.

Softshell clam

Softshell clams are native to the East Coast, where they are an important commercial fishery. They are believed to have been introduced to Oregon in the late 1800s, timed with the attempt to begin a fishery for the eastern oyster. They are a good option for clammers wanting to explore upriver in less saline areas. 

a person holds a softshell clam over the sand