Before You Head to the Beach: Hood Canal's Shellfish Scene, and What to Know Right Now
Hood Canal looks like a bay but it technically isn't. It's a fjord, which is a long, deep arm of saltwater carved out by glaciers during the last ice age. The water is cold and rich, the kind of cold that is very good for shellfish, which is why Mason County has become one of the best places in world to dig clams, eat oysters, mussels and geoduck. The farms and tideflats along the canal have supplied restaurants and raw bars for decades, and recreational harvesting has been a local tradition for even longer.
Hood Canal looks like a bay but it technically isn't. It's a fjord, which is a long, deep arm of saltwater carved out by glaciers during the last ice age. The water is cold and rich, the kind of cold that is very good for shellfish, which is why Mason County has become one of the best places in world to dig clams, eat oysters, mussels and geoduck. The farms and tideflats along the canal have supplied restaurants and raw bars for decades, and recreational harvesting has been a local tradition for even longer.
The Washington Shellfish Trail
If you want a guide to it all, shellfishtrail.org is where to start. The Washington Shellfish Trail is a statewide resource that maps out oyster farms, shellfish events, and self-harvest beaches across the state. The site includes links to WDFW licensing information if you're planning to harvest. To harvest shellfish or seaweed in Washington, everyone age 15 and older needs a Washington State Shellfish/Seaweed License. These are easy to get online through the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) website or at sporting goods stores and many local shops. Be sure to bring your license along on your trip, it is required whenever you gather your own oysters or clams.
Check Before You Go: A New Beach Status Tool
The Shellfish Trail recently added a new feature at on its website. The live "beach status" page pulls daily harvest data from the Washington Department of Health and displays current open, conditional, or closed status for beaches across the state. It also includes a GPS-based tide tool that uses your location to provide upcoming tide predictions for the nearest NOAA station. It's a handy tool for anyone planning a harvesting trip. Conditions can change quickly, and having the current status makes planning easier.
Two Very Different Bodies of Water
Mason County is shellfish country, but not all of its water is the same, and if you're planning a harvesting trip, its important to learn the terrain. Hood Canal runs about 50 miles from its northern entrance near Foulweather Bluff all the way south and around the Great Bend to Lynch Cove near Belfair. It's deep, up to 600 feet in places, with an average depth of around 177 feet. That depth is a characteristic of a fjord. There's a shallow underwater ridge, called a sill, near the northern entrance that limits how freely deeper water can exchange with Puget Sound. The Skokomish River pours freshwater into the south end, creating a layer of lighter freshwater on top of denser saltwater below. Those two layers don't mix easily, so the deep water of Hood Canal can go a long time without being replenished with oxygen-rich water from the surface or from outside. That's a natural condition of a fjord. When algae blooms occur and produce toxins, those conditions can linger.
Hammersley Inlet and Oakland Bay, near Shelton, close to the canal as the crow flies, are almost entirely different bodies of water. Hammersley is a shallow, winding tidal channel -- about eight nautical miles of twisting waterway that connects Oakland Bay to the greater South Puget Sound. When the tide changes, all the water in Oakland Bay has to move through that single narrow passage, and it does so fast. Currents in Hammersley can run up to five knots. That tidal movement means the water flushes on every tide cycle, mixing and exchanging far more actively than the deep, stratified water of Hood Canal. Oakland Bay itself receives freshwater from Goldsborough Creek and several other smaller streams through Shelton, making it more of a true estuary, shallower and warmer with the tides.
That difference in water character is one reason these two areas can have different conditions at any given time. A closure on Hood Canal doesn't automatically mean Hammersley or Oakland Bay are affected, and vice versa. In fact, even when one area is closed, you might find that another nearby beach remains open for harvesting. The beach status tool mentioned above shows each growing area's status independently, so you can easily see which beaches are currently open. Checking by location lets you find alternative spots rather than assuming one closure covers everything.
Right Now: Hood Canal Is Closed for Recreational Harvest
On June 12, the Washington State Department of Health issued a warning after lab testing found lethal levels of Paralytic Shellfish Poison in shellfish samples collected near Union. As a result, all recreational shellfish harvesting in Hood Canal is currently closed, from Foulweather Bluff and Port Ludlow Bay south, including Port Gamble Bay, Quilcene Bay, Dabob Bay, and Mats Mats Bay. The closure covers clams, oysters, mussels, scallops, and other molluscan shellfish. Crab and shrimp are not included.
If someone has eaten shellfish from a closed area or starts having symptoms like tingling, numbness, dizziness, or trouble breathing after eating shellfish, call 911 right away. Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning can become serious very quickly, and it is important to get medical help immediately. Warning signs have been posted at public beaches in Mason, Kitsap, and Jefferson counties. PSP is caused by a naturally occurring marine toxin produced by certain algae. Shellfish accumulate it as they filter-feed, and there's no way to tell by looking, smelling, or tasting whether they are contaminated. Cooking doesn't destroy it either. Symptoms can come on within minutes to a few hours after eating affected shellfish and can be serious. The closure will stay in place until DOH testing confirms toxin levels have dropped to safe concentrations. Beach status is updated daily as new water and shellfish test results become available, so you can rely on recent information for planning your trip. The most current status is always available on the DOH Shellfish Safety Map (fortress.wa.gov/doh/biotoxin/biotoxin.html), or you can check the Shellfish Trail's beach status tool above. For the fastest updates, you can also sign up for email or text notifications on the DOH website to be alerted when conditions change.
Still Worth the Trip
A PSP closure is a sign that Hood Canal is a living, healthy ecosystem, and that the water quality here is monitored closely because people depend on it. The canal's fjord-like geography means it doesn't flush and refresh as shallower bays do, making it especially sensitive to conditions in the water column. That's also part of what makes it so productive when conditions are right. The beaches are still beautiful. The farms are still operating (commercial shellfish goes through a separate, federally supervised monitoring program). Kayaking, crab and shrimp fishing, swimming, and shoreline exploration are all unaffected. Keep an eye on the beach status page on shellfishtrail.org for updates -- and bookmark it for your next trip out to the water.
Fresh Shellfish from the Source
Want to visit the farmers that wake up on the night tides to bring you the perfect oyster, clam or geoduck? Check out these farms on and around Hood Canal!
You’ve heard it before – those dang months with the “r.” Well, technically local oyster farmers don’t agree, bivalves have a much longer season, Some of the best shucks are in May – but there is something to be said for a fall or spring oyster over a “peak of the summer” one. That’s why March and April are the perfect time to follow the shellfish trail and visit local farms that grow the food you love.
In Search of Perfection
Want to meet the farmers that wake up on the night tides to bring you the perfect oyster, clam or geoduck? Check out these farms on and around Hood Canal!
Capital Oysters & Seattle Shellfish
South Puget Sound | capitaloyster.com
5th generation oyster farmer, Tom Bloomfield, tide tumbles Capital oysters that are suspended off the ground. The growing process results in a smooth, super deep shell as each oyster captures the essence of the beautiful ocean waters, free of sand and zero muddy tastes.
Chelsea Farms & Olympia Oyster Bar
Chelsea Farms | photo:poppi photography
Eld & Totten Inlet
Chelsea Farms is a current working model of environmental sustainability. They have made a priority of farming the Olympia Oyster, a native oyster to Olympia, that was on it’s way to extinction. Specialties include their Chelsea Gem, Bonita, and Olympia Oysters, along with fresh clams and geoduck. Visit their Oyster bar in downtown Olympia to get the ultimate local seafood experience!
Let’s Go:
CHELSEA FARMS OYSTER BAR
222 CAPITOL WAY N, OLYMPIA, WA 98501
Phone: (360) 915-7784
Hours: TUES-FRI 11AM-9PM, SAT 10AM - 10PM | SUN 10AM - 9PM
menu
The Fjord Oyster Bank
Sea Nymph Oysters
Hoodsport & Hammersley | southsoundoysters.com
24341 N Hwy 101 Hoodsport | (360) 877-2102
For the last decade and a half the Hansen family has been raising oysters and clams on South Puget Sound's nutrient rich waterway, Hammersley Inlet. Through a tumble bag and a bag to beach process these oysters have distinct merrior as well as shape profiles resulting from their growth process despite being in the geographic. The tumble bag Hemingways have a sweet cucumber finish while the beach finished Sea Nymphs have a kelpy taste. Hemingway Sweets roll in deeper water and have a deep cup, sweet flavor and a full-body crunch. Hemingways (coined from Ernest Heminway's famous oyster quote) as well as Sea Nymphs, are available for raw and grilled preparation at their Hoodsport café and Oyster Bar, Fjord Oyster Bank.
Let’s Go:
Fjord Oyster Bank Oyster Bar
24341 N Hwy 101, Hoodsport
Phone: (360) 877-2102
Hours: THUR-SAT 10 AM-8PM, SUN10AM - 6PM | Closed MON-WED
menu
Hama Hama Oyster Farm
Lilliwaup, Hood Canal
A few years ago the Hama Hama Oyster Co opened their Oyster Saloon in Liliwaup. This high energy destination serves oysters pulled from the last tide and prepared to order with an ever changing menu of seasonal local ingredients. In their retail shop you can purchase a variety of their Hood Canal product including salmon and oysters smoked on site. Hama Hama is a 5th generation family run farm with a reputation for quality and environmental mindfulness.
Let’s Go:
HAMA HAMA OYSTER CO
35846 US-101, Lilliwaup, WA 98555
PHONE: (360) 877-5811
Spring Hours: Farm Store Daily 9:30 to 5:30
Oyster Saloon Check website for details
Shellfish is available in their retail store, Saloon and at parent restaurants throughout the Northwest. Product also available online and shipped directly to your home.
Olympic Oyster Co. & Mike’s Beach Resort
Eldon, Hood Canal
Third-generation farmers, Matthew and Sara are serious about producing some award winning oysters on site for market and available at restaurants as far away as New York. Guests staying on the active farm aka Mike’s Beach Resort have first dibs on some of the freshest oysters on the fjord!
Let’s Go:
Mike’s Beach Resort
38470 N US Highway 101, Lilliwaup, WA 98555
Phone (360) 877-5324
Waterfront cabins and rooms, with view of the canal.
Taylor Shellfish
South Puget Sound and British Columbia
Stop in at Taylor Shellfish’s headquarters and visit their market near Shelton. Taylor’s specialties include the famed Kumamoto (sweet fruity flavor) and the Virginica (Crisp, briny, and buttery). The company has been farming oysters on Puget Sound since the 1890’s when great-grandfather Justin Taylor began farming Olympias. Five generations later, the company’s product line includes worldwide export of geoduck, clams, and mussels along with oysters.
Let’s Go:
TAYLOR SHELLFISH RETAIL STORE
130 SE Lynch RD Shelton WA, 98584
PHONE: (360) 432-3300
Hours: Open for Monday - Sunday: 10am - 6:00pm; Closed all major holidays
Shellfish is also available at one of their many locations throughout NW Washington. Product also available online and shipped directly to your home.
Head to the Shores
Prepare yourself with buckets, boots, license and check the tides & harvest map. Local State Parks support a healthy stock of clams and oysters for license holders – free for the taking!
Shellfish Gathering
With a salt water canal at its center and a myriad of lakes, waterfalls and streams surrounding the inner fingers of Puget Sound – this area is rich in aquaculture and water related opportunities. It’s time to start planning your outdoor adventures!
Click to download the Mason County Shellfish and Beach guide
If you harvest clams or oysters, make sure to keep them on ice or eat them soon after harvest. DOH advises that shellfish recreationally harvested from June through September, should be cooked thoroughly to avoid illness from Vibriosis. It is best practice to read posted warnings or call the Marine Toxins/PSP Hotline: 1-800-562-5632 for a recorded message that is updated regularly.
Visit the Shellfish Safety Map or the mobile friendly version of the map . Clam and oyster season are beach specific and may change annually. Always Check BEFORE you dig.
“Prepare yourself with buckets, boots, license and check the tides & harvest map. Local State Parks support a healthy stock of clams and oysters for license holders – free for the taking!”
Harvestable Beaches
Some of the following reflect adjustments from original 2020 seasons to make up for opportunity lost during the Stay Home, Stay Healthy-related closure:
South Puget Sound
Hope Island State Park – Boat access only.
Oysters are incidental at this site but clamming can be quite good. This beach is a very popular place to dig for geoducks. A tide lower than -2.0 feet is best for geoducks. Most of the oysters are on the west side of the island near the south end. The season is usually only open for the month of May but in 2020 owing too Covid -19, Hope Island State Park will be open for clams, mussels, and oysters Aug. 1 - 31.
North Bay – Abundant Manila clams and an enhanced oyster bed. The season here is short and locked into May and September under terms of a shoreline agreement.
Oakland Bay Tideland – Open year-round, good shore access with parking. Manila clams and oysters can be found here.
Hood Canal
Belfair State Park – Excellent beach for oysters and Manila clams can be found here. Clams, mussels, and oysters open two weeks early on July 15 and remain open through Dec. 31.
Potlatch State Park – Potlatch State Park and Potlatch DNR: clams, mussels, and oysters open June 8 and seasons are extended for two months to remain open through Sept. 30.
Lilliwaup State Park – Open year-round, excellent for oysters and native clams. Clamming is difficult due to the cobble substrate, but the beach is abundant with butter clams.
Rendsland Creek – Open year-round, excellent for oysters and a variety of clams can be found here although not in great densities.
Twanoh State Park – Open year-round for oysters and seasonally for clams, check season before harvesting. Good beach for Manila clams.
DNR 33, 47 & 48 – Boat access only beaches, open year-round for clams and oysters.
Eagle Creek – This is an excellent oyster beach. Opens June 8 for clam, mussel and oyster harvest. Clam and mussel seasons are extended by two weeks to close on Sept. 15. Oysters remain open through Dec. 31.
Triton Cove State Park – There is very little clam resource on this beach, but there are good numbers of year-round oysters. Opens June 8 for clam, mussel and oyster harvest. Clam and mussel seasons are extended by two weeks to close on Sept. 15. Oysters remain open through December 31.
Dosewallips State Park – This is an excellent beach for clams. The best areas are in the mid-upper tidal zone in mixed sand and gravel substrate. Opens June 8 for clam, mussel and oyster harvest. Clams and mussels close Sept. 30. Oysters remain open through December 31.
Productive digging is also found around and among the oysters, an area often overlooked by harvesters. Please take care not to cover oysters with sand and mud as this will potentially kill the oysters.
Searching for Shellfish
The traditions of clam digging and oyster harvesting run deeply through the historical veins of the Olympic Peninsula. Check out this easy itinerary from Shelton to Oakland Bay on South Puget Sound’s Hammersley Inlet.
The traditions of clam digging and oyster harvesting run deeply through the historical veins of the Olympic Peninsula. As one of the most bountiful places in the country when it comes to sea-fare,a visit compels us to unearthing our boots, shovels, and spades from the back of the garage.
With a thirst for adventure and a hankering for the freshest seafood around, we'll bee-line to our favorite digging grounds and want to take you with us as we embark on the adventure.
Caffeination Station | 9am
To get the most out of your endeavors, hitting the beach for the hour and a half before and the hour and a half after low tide is optimal. While it fluctuates over time, and you should always check the tide chart before heading out. If its morning, stop by Urraco Coffee Co. for an in-house roasted bean and a fresh baked goodie. Lounge on the dog friendly garden patio and be sure to take a bag of one of their deliciously gourmet beans with you.
Hitting the Beach
A short ten minute drive from Urraco takes you to the Oyster Reserves of Oakland Bay. Digging for both clams and oysters are permitted year-round. Most outdoor supply stores and even gas stations in the area will sell one, two, three day, or annual shellfish licenses for reasonable prices. Don't get caught without one! Don your rubber boots and your gloves, grab a bucket (regulations require that each adventurer has his own), and a clam rake and get to it!
Oakland Bay’s bounty is easily harvested at higher tides and requires little need to venture into the thick mud at the lowest point on the beach. Manila clams can be found in abundance and oysters can be spotted around every corner. Be sure to know the regulations of any site you visit.
Remember: the eats are only good if the creatures are alive and remain so until you are ready to throw them down the hatch. This means you should avoid broken shells or shells that aren't tightly closed. Leave damaged specimens in the ground, and keep up with current beach closures due to red tide and other harmful toxins here.
Enjoy the Harvest
Leisurely evenings in Hood Canal are second-to-none and that’s before you have a pot of Manila clams bubbling away in a savory sauce made with Hoodsport Winery riesling in front of you. There are a myriad of ways to prepare your shellfish harvest, but the experts from Taylor Shellfish Farms have a few tried-and-true recommendations that you can find here.
As the sun slowly sets on Hood Canal, remember that we love to see it all from your point of view. Share with #explorehoodcanal #hoodcanal and #wildsideWA and keep up with us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest for more adventure around the Olympic National Park. Happy gathering!
Monday – Friday: 6am to 7pm
Saturday: 7am to 7pm
Sunday: 7am to 5pm
Oyster Reserves of Oakland Bay
Rules (species specific)
Fresh Shellfish from the Source
Want to visit the farmers that wake up on the night tides to bring you the perfect oyster, clam or geoduck? Check out these farms on and around Hood Canal!
In Search of Perfection
Want to meet the farmers that wake up on the night tides to bring you the perfect oyster, clam or geoduck? Check out these farms on and around Hood Canal!
Chelsea Farms & Olympia Oyster Bar
Chelsea Farms | photo:poppi photography
Eld & Totten Inlet
Chelsea Farms is a current working model of environmental sustainability. They have made a priority of farming the Olympia Oyster, a native oyster to Olympia, that was on it’s way to extinction. Specialties include their Chelsea Gem, Bonita, and Olympia Oysters, along with fresh clams and geoduck. Visit their Oyster bar in downtown Olympia to get the ultimate local seafood experience!
Let’s Go:
CHELSEA FARMS OYSTER BAR
222 CAPITOL WAY N, OLYMPIA, WA 98501
Phone: (360) 915-7784
Hours: TUES-FRI 11AM-9PM, SAT 10AM - 10PM | SUN 10AM - 9PM
menu
Hama Hama Oyster Farm
Lilliwaup, Hood Canal
A few years ago the Hama Hama Oyster Co opened their Oyster Saloon in Liliwaup. This high energy destination serves oysters pulled from the last tide and prepared to order with an ever changing menu of seasonal local ingredients. In their retail shop you can purchase a variety of their Hood Canal product including salmon and oysters smoked on site. Hama Hama is a 5th generation family run farm with a reputation for quality and environmental mindfulness.
Let’s Go:
HAMA HAMA OYSTER CO
35846 US-101, Lilliwaup, WA 98555
PHONE: (360) 877-5811
FALL Hours: Farm Store Daily 9:30 to 5:30
Oyster Saloon Thurs - Mon 12:00 - 5:30 (Closed Tuesday & Wednesday Starting 9/5)
Shellfish is available in their retail store, Saloon and at parent restaurants throughout the Northwest.. Product also available online and shipped directly to your home.
Olympic Oyster Co. & Mike’s Beach Resort
Eldon, Hood Canal
Third-generation farmers, Matthew and Sara are serious about producing some award winning oysters on site for market and available at restaurants as far away as New York. Guests staying on the active farm aka Mike’s Beach Resort have first dibs on some of the freshest oysters on the fjord!
Let’s Go:
Mike’s Beach Resort
38470 N US Highway 101, Lilliwaup, WA 98555
Phone (360) 877-5324
Waterfront cabins and rooms, with view of the canal.
Taylor Shellfish
South Puget Sound and British Columbia
Stop in at Taylor Shellfish’s headquarters and visit their market near Shelton. Taylor’s specialties include the famed Kumamoto (sweet fruity flavor) and the Virginica (Crisp, briny, and buttery). The company has been farming oysters on Puget Sound since the 1890’s when great-grandfather Justin Taylor began farming Olympias. Five generations later, the company’s product line includes worldwide export of geoduck, clams, and mussels along with oysters.
Let’s Go:
TAYLOR SHELLFISH RETAIL STORE
130 SE Lynch RD Shelton WA, 98584
PHONE: (360) 432-3300
Hours: Monday - Sunday: 10am - 6:00pm; Closed all major holidays
Shellfish is also available at one of their many locations throughout NW Washington. Product also available online and shipped directly to your home.