How to Dig Bay Clams — Technique & Limits

Bay clamming rewards knowing your species. The same flat can hold a cockle sitting on the surface and a gaper buried three feet down, and you dig them completely differently. Here’s how to work each one — and the limits that govern what you keep.

Not sure what you’re looking at? See the clam identification guide first.

Timing: dig the low tide

Like all clamming, bay clamming runs on low — ideally minus — tides, when the flats are exposed longest and lowest. Get out as the tide bottoms out and work the wet flats. See the tides guide for how to read the window.

The right tool for each species

Bay clams live at very different depths, so ODFW’s rule of thumb is to match the tool to the clam:

• Gaper, purple varnish → shovel
• Cockle, littleneck → rake or hands
• Softshell → shovel or clam gun
• Butter → shovel or potato fork

Technique by depth

Shallow clams (cockle, littleneck, purple varnish)

These sit within a few inches of the surface. Find the shows — cockles often look like two pencil holes; littlenecks leave a small figure-8 — and simply rake or scrape back the top few inches and pick them out. This is the easy, family-friendly end of clamming.

Deep clams (gaper, butter, softshell)

These take real digging. The key rule, especially for gapers:

Dig around and into the side of the show — never straight down through it. A gaper’s neck and shell are fragile, and a shovel driven straight down will slice the siphon or crack the shell. Open a hole next to the show, then reach in from the side and feel for the clam.

• Gapers are 1–3 feet deep — commit to a real hole. A shrimp/clam gun can help clear loose, soupy sediment, but you finish the deep ones with a shovel and your hand.
• Butter clams are 6–14 inches down in sand and gravel; same side-approach to protect the shell.
• Softshells have brittle shells — dig gently.

Refill your holes when you’re done (it’s required in Washington and good practice everywhere) and push undersized clams back into the refilled hole.

The limits

Limits and sizes change and vary by area. These are the current figures — always confirm with ODFW or WDFW before you dig.

Oregon

• License: everyone 12 and older needs a shellfish license.
• Bay clams (butter, littleneck, gaper, cockle): 20 per day in aggregate, of which only 12 may be gapers.
• Purple varnish clams: 72 per day (high, because they’re invasive).
• Other clams (softshell, etc.): 36 per day in aggregate.
• Keep-what-you-dig: razor, gaper, piddock, and softshell clams must be kept regardless of size or condition.

Washington

• License: a shellfish/seaweed (or combination) license is required.
• Clams (other than razor, geoduck, horse): no more than 40 clams total, not to exceed 10 pounds in the shell, combined across species.
• Horse (gaper) clams: keep the first 7 dug, regardless of size.
• Minimum sizes apply (e.g. littleneck/Manila/butter; cockle) and were under review in 2026 — confirm the current rule.
• Beach-by-beach: seasons and openings vary by beach; both the WDFW season and the DOH health status must be open. Each digger uses a separate container.

Before you go

Bay clams carry the same biotoxin risk as any shellfish — check the safety status before every dig. And let ClamClock keep an eye on the conditions so you only make the drive when it’s worth it.

More: bay clam species & best bays.