10/14/2026
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) shellfish managers have published an emergency Fishing Rule Change effective today, Oct. 14, updating or extending clam, mussel, or oyster gathering seasons at several public shellfishing beaches in Marine Area 9 (Admiralty Inlet) and Marine Area 12 (Hood Canal).
"Following shellfishing closures in Hood Canal and portions of Admiralty Inlet over the summer due to very unsafe biotoxin levels, we're glad to see biotoxin advisories increasingly being lifted and several more public beaches reopening," said Camille Speck, WDFW's Puget Sound intertidal bivalve manager.
"WDFW has also extended opportunities to gather clams, mussels, or oysters at several beaches to make up for lost harvest opportunity during the summer’s biotoxin closures."
Refer to the rule change for details: https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/regulations/emergency-rules/marine-area-9-admiralty-inlet-marine-area-12-hood-canal-shellfish-beaches-update-2026-10
The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) advises against harvest and consumption of geoducks, butter clams, and varnish clams in areas that are open to shellfish harvest north of the line between Triton Head and Tekiu Point in Hood Canal. Learn more about shellfish safety at the DOH recreational shellfish webpage: https://doh.wa.gov/community-and-environment/shellfish/recreational-shellfish
Photo by WDFW of our Puget Sound Shellfish Division staff and Puget Sound Restoration Fund staff surveying oysters on Quilcene Bay tidelands in Hood Canal.
