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Effective July 1, bag limits on wild adult Chinook salmon are reduced.
Effective June 13, 2019, the Trask River Hatchery Hole will be closed.
Razor clamming is now closed from the south jetty of the Siuslaw River south to the California border.
Effective June 1, 2019 through November 28, 2019, the use of barbed hooks is allowed when angling for salmon, steelhead, or trout.
Recreation Report
Marine Zone
Regulation Updates
Regulation updates as of June 12, 2019
These are in-season regulation changes adopted on a temporary or emergency basis. Please see e-regulations for permanent regulations.
DUNGENESS CRAB
- Recreational crabbing is open along the entire Oregon coast from the Columbia River to the California border, including the ocean, bays and estuaries, and on beaches, docks, piers, and jetties.
- For recreational crab harvesters, it is recommended that crab always be eviscerated prior to cooking, which includes removal and discard of the viscera, internal organs, and gills.
- Because of Oregon’s precautionary management of biotoxins, the crab and shellfish products currently being sold in retail markets and restaurants are safe for consumers.
- Before clamming or crabbing, call ODA’s shellfish safety information hotline at (800) 448-2474 or visit the ODA shellfish closures web page at: http://ODA.direct/ShellfishClosures
- The consumption of crab viscera is not recommended.
RAZOR CLAMS
- Razor clamming is OPEN from the Columbia River to the south jetty of the Siuslaw River (includes Clatsop County beaches).
- Recreational razor clamming is CLOSED from the south jetty of the Siuslaw River to the California border due to elevated levels of domoic acid toxin.
Recreation Report
Attention crabbers and clammers – we want your photos!
Whether you’re out digging clams or setting crabpots, we’d love to see photos of your visit to the coast. When you submit your photos to ODFW they could appear on our website or signs, or in social or brochures. What a great way to share your experience with others!
Now is the time to get out your boots and buckets. Daytime negative low tides during the spring and summer provide ample opportunity to clam and enjoy Oregon’s estuaries. Click the links to learn more about where and how to bay clam and razor clam.
RAZOR CLAMS
Clatsop Beach razor clamming (Oregon’s northern 18 miles of beach) was very productive the last low-tide tide series with many harvesters obtaining their limit. Clams can be found throughout the area and are uniform in size at around 4-inches. Clams can be found at tides as low as a 0.0 or lower if the surf is lower than 8 feet.
For the Central Coast area, diggers have been able to harvest limits on some specific sandbars, but until the beaches build up through the spring, the flat sandy areas with a good abundance of clams will be accessible only at tide levels well below 0.0. Diggers report mixed success at Newport beaches as well as difficulty seeing shows at times.
BAY CLAMS
Check out the Where to Clam articles for places to find them. You can also get more clamming maps here or at the coastal ODFW offices.
Always call the ODA shellfish safety hotline at 1-800-448-2474 or ODA shellfish closures website before harvesting for the most current information about shellfish safety closures.
CRAB
Crabbing in the Coos Bay estuary and lower Coquille estuary have been limited. Crabbing by boat and setting pots near the jetties yields the most crab. Dock crabbers are picking up some legal Dungeness crabs on the docks at Weber’s Pier in Bandon.
Central coast crabbing in Alsea and Yaquina bays has been fair to moderate by boat with less success for Dungeness from shore.
In addition to Dungeness crab, another Oregon native present in some of Oregon’s estuaries is the red rock crab. Crabbers can retain 24 red rock crabs of any sex or size. Some crabbers in estuaries may encounter non-native European green crab in their catch this year. While they look similar to Oregon’s native shore crabs, they can be identified by the three prominent bumps between the eyes and 5 spines down the side of the carapace. The daily catch limit for European green crab is 10 crab of any size or sex.