How to dig for clams on the Oregon Coast
COOS BAY, Ore. -- We looked down helplessly at our shoes as they sunk into the muddy bank of the North Spit.
When we pictured clam digging, we pictured sticking a shovel into dry sand and bringing out a clam, simple as that.
Clam digging is not as simple as that, but it’s close.
“Well, you’ll need some boots,” said Mark Parker, avid clam digger and employee of Basin Tackle Shop in Charleston, about 7 miles southwest of Coos Bay.
Turns out a pair of boots, a shovel, a bucket, a shellfish license, a low tide and some good clam chowder recipes are all you need to clam dig.
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Where to dig | Types of clams | Clam identification
When to dig
The day before you plan on clam digging, look up the tide times. You should plan on going out during a negative tide, a low tide, because clams live below the surface of tidal mud flats.
We started digging around 10 a.m.; however, some mornings you might find yourself getting up much earlier to catch the low tide.
Information on clam digging regulations and limits and shellfish licenses published by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife should also be researched prior to digging.
Popular places to clam dig on the Oregon coast are in Coos Bay, Tillamook Bay, Netarts Bay and Yaquina Bay. We dug in Charleston, right outside of Coos Bay, where it is easy to catch your limit in clams within an hour, depending on the type of clam you are digging.
The most common types of clams to dig are empire, or gaper clams; cockles; and steamer clams.
Empires, known for their large siphons, burrow deep into the sand and are found closer to the tide, which is where good boots come in. These clams often take time and energy to dig, and you are sure to get messy in the mud. Large clams, such as empires, are eaten pan-fried or stuffed.
This video addresses digging for empire clams:
Cockles live closer to the surface and are the easiest to dig. Small and tender, cockles can be used in clam chowders.
This video addresses cockle clam digging:
Steamers, the small clams commonly served in restaurants, live farther away from the tide and near the surface, but are often hard to find as they are the most popular to dig and eat.
This video addresses digging for steamers:
| Commonly harvested species | ||||
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| Common name | Gaper | Littleneck | Cockle | |
| Other names |
Empire, horseneck, blue Scientific: Tresus capax |
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Steamer, native littleneck Scientific: Protothaca staminea |
Heart cockle, Nutall's cockle Scientific: Clinocardium nuttallii |
| Key Identification Features |
• Large gape around neck and concentric shell rings. • Largest common clam in Oregon estuaries. • Commensal pea crab pairs are often found within their mantle. |
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• Identified by concentric lines and radiating ridges • Longer lived and less abundant than cockles. • Circular in shape. |
• Identified by their prominent radiating ridges. • Circular in shape. |
| Common size |
3-6" |
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1½-2½” |
1½-3” |
| Common habitat |
High salinity areas of sand or mud. |
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High salinity areas of sand, mud, gravel, or rock. |
High salinity areas of sand. |
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Source: Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
Cooking clams
Before cooking clams, it is best to review shellfish safety guidelines to ensure consumption safety.
