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The recreational harvest of razor clams is CLOSED from the south jetty of the Siuslaw River to the California border for elevated domoic acid levels.
The Dam Hole on the Trask River closed to fishing on Sept. 1 and will remain closed until Nov. 30.
Effective October 19, the daily bag limit reduces for adult hatchery Chinook
Retention of wild adult fall Chinook salmon is prohibited effective October 5, 2019.
Steelhead, fall Chinook and coho bag limits reduced to one per day.
Recreation Report
Marine Zone
Regulation Updates
Regulation updates as of Oct. 23, 2019
These are in-season regulation changes adopted on a temporary or emergency basis. Please see e-regulations for permanent regulations.
DUNGENESS CRAB
- Crabbing is closed in the ocean from Oct. 16 – Nov. 30.
- Recreational crabbing is open in bays and estuaries, and on beaches, docks, piers, and jetties along the entire Oregon coast from the Columbia River to the California border,
- 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.
Coming soon: Beginning Jan. 1, 2020, recreational crabbers will need to mark all floating surface buoys with the owner’s full name or business name and at least one of the following: phone number, permanent address, ODFW Angler ID number, or vessel identification number. Mark your information in a clear, legible, and permanent manner. While this rule does not apply to gear tied to docks, piers, jetties, or beaches, we recommend marking buoys on any gear that could become derelict or lost. Find more information here.
RAZOR CLAMS
- The recreational harvest of razor clams is CLOSED from the south jetty of the Siuslaw River to the California border for elevated domoic acid levels. This includes all beaches and all bays.
- The recreational harvest of razor clams is OPEN from the Columbia River to the north jetty of the Siuslaw River. This includes all beaches and all bays.
- The annual conservation closure for the Clatsop beaches is no longer in effect (July 15 - September 30).
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!
RAZOR CLAM
As of Nov. 6, the recreational harvest of razor clams is CLOSED from the south jetty of the Siuslaw River to the California border for elevated domoic acid levels. This includes all beaches and all bays.
Clatsop Beach razor clam season opened on Oct. 1. The best low tides have switched to the evenings so harvesters should plan accordingly. Clammers should expect a high abundance of razor clams 3 ½ inches or less. Targeting the largest “show,” greater than a nickel in diameter, will greatly increase the odds of harvesting a larger clam.
Razor clam season starts to slow down at beaches south of Clatsop as the end of good daytime negative low tides approaches.
For the Central Coast area, diggers report mixed success at Newport beaches, with more clams landed at North Jetty and Agate Beach.
Fall and winter harvesting of razor clams can be a challenging endeavor. Unlike the spring and summer, low tides are in the evenings and at night when visibility is poor or nonexistent. Typical to the Oregon coast, the fall and winter brings large storm events, which keep the razor clams from “showing” as readily and can also be a safety risk with surging water and debris on the beach. Make sure to monitor swell and surf advisories as well as predicted wind prior to harvesting. Combined seas greater than 10 feet and winds greater than 20mph will make harvesting difficult for all, including the most experienced harvester.
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
Coming soon: Beginning Jan. 1, 2020, recreational crabbers will need to mark all floating surface buoys with a name and and other identifying information. See more information in the Regulation updates section above. While this rule does not apply to gear tied to docks, piers, jetties or beaches, we recommend marking buoys on any gear that could become derelict or lost. Find more information here.
Crabbing is closed in the ocean from Oct. 16 – Nov. 30. Bays, beaches, estuaries, tide pools, piers, and jetties remain open.
Crabbing in the Coos Bay estuary is picking up as we head into the winter months. Crabbing by boat and setting pots near the jetties yields the most crab. Dock crabbing in Coos Bay has been slow. Crabbing in Florence has been slow, with crabbers only getting a few crab off the docks.
Central coast crabbing in Alsea has been moderate to good. Yaquina Bay has seen fair to moderate returns by boat. Crabbers are landing fuller crab.
Crabbing in Tillamook and Netarts bays has been moderate, with higher catches in Netarts Bay.
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. There have also been higher numbers of Pacific rock crab in Yaquina Bay this year. This crab counts as your “Other” shellfish, which has a daily bag limit of 10 in aggregate with other species that fall in this category (see page 82 of the fishing synopsis for more details). While they look very similar to red rock crab, their long antennae and large claws distinguish them; they sometimes have spots on their abdomen.
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. They are not always green and color is not a good identifying feature. The daily catch limit for European green crab also falls in the “Other” shellfish category and is 10 in aggregate with other species that fall in this category (see page 82 of the fishing synopsis for more details). European green crab can be any size or sex.