Gearhart's Razor Clam Season Now Runs on a Lab Result and an Evening Tide

On September 14, 2026, the Oregon Department of Agriculture tested razor clams dug at Sunset Beach and found 10 parts per million of domoic acid. That was half the closure limit of 20 ppm. The next sample, taken October 2, came back at 44 ppm. The same day, ODA and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife closed razor clam harvest along the entire coast, and the announcement named Clatsop Beach specifically.

The timing stung. October 1 is the date clammers on the Clatsop beaches circle every year, because that's when the summer conservation closure north of Tillamook Head ends. That closure runs July 15 through September 30. The conservation closure ended on schedule this year, and one day later the toxin closure took its place. Since the season didn't open on October 1, Gearhart's real opener depends on two things lining up: a lab clearing the clams and an evening minus tide that is low enough to dig. Both can be tracked.

Why the Clatsop Sample Speaks for Gearhart

ODA's lab sheet includes a line that matters to anyone who digs between the Columbia River and Seaside: "a sample from anywhere in the Clatsop Beach area represents all the Clatsop Beaches." The clams are tested at Sunset Beach, a few miles north, but that result decides whether you can dig in front of a Gearhart house.

These beaches carry a lot of weight. ODFW says about 95 percent of Oregon's razor clam digging happens on the stretch from the Columbia River to Seaside. So a closure here shuts down most of the state's razor clamming.

The closure was foreseeable. In July, OPB reported that the summer conservation closure could stretch into October if biotoxin levels stayed unsafe. When the October 2 result came in, Northwest Sportsman carried the 44 ppm figure to sport diggers across the region.

How a Beach Reopens After a Toxin Closure

ODA lays out three steps:

1. A sample of the closed species from the closed area has to test below the closure limit, which is under 20 ppm for domoic acid.
2. A second sample has to test below the limit too, and it has to be taken at least one week after the first.
3. ODA and ODFW then jointly reopen recreational harvest.

ODA says it will keep testing at least twice a month, "as tides and weather permit." The lab sheet lists the next sampling week as October 12, 2026. As of today, October 11, that sample hasn't been taken yet, and ODA's closure page still shows its October 2 update.

Here's the math. Say the October 12 week brings a clean result. A second clean sample can't come any sooner than a week after it. That puts the earliest possible reopening in the second half of October, if everything goes right. That's not a forecast. Any sample at or above 20 ppm starts the count over.

Two facts from ODFW's page on shellfish toxins explain why nobody is promising a date. Razor clams tend to build up more domoic acid than bay clams and mussels, and they hold it longer. Levels in razor clams can also double in less than five days. The jump from 10 ppm to 44 ppm between September 14 and October 2 shows how fast the number can move.

Lining Up the Lab Schedule With the Tides

A reopened beach only helps if the tide drops far enough to dig. In ODFW's October 8, 2026 report, the agency notes that in fall and winter, the negative low tides good for clamming come in the evening. That narrows the season to a few clusters of evenings each month.

The times below are NOAA predictions for its Columbia River entrance station at the North Jetty. NOAA ties that station to its Astoria reference, so treat these as close estimates for Gearhart's beach.

The deepest tides come in three series: late October, Thanksgiving week and Christmas week. Each bottoms out below -1.3 ft. The early November and early December series are shallower, never reaching -0.75 ft.

Late October is the first deep series of the fall, and it falls just after the earliest possible reopening date. If the October 12 sample and the one after it both come back clean, the evenings of October 26 through 28 could be the first good dig of the season. If either sample fails, the next deep tides are Thanksgiving week, about four weeks later. After that comes Christmas week, with its low point at 7:03 p.m. on Christmas Eve.

Each series also gets later in the evening day by day. In late October, the low moves from 6:11 p.m. on the 24th to 10:54 p.m. on the 30th. The first nights of a series are the shallowest but come earliest, and the deepest nights land after full dark.

From the 10th Street Ramp, After Dark

In Gearhart, the evening tides mean digging in the dark, and for many people it also means driving on the beach. The City of Gearhart's FAQ lists 10th Street as the town's vehicle beach access and strongly recommends four-wheel or all-wheel drive, because sand levels and firmness keep changing. You can't drive south of 10th Street. You can drive north as far as Warrenton. If you dig from a vehicle, you'll be heading north from the ramp toward Sunset Beach, the same stretch where ODA collects its test clams.

ODFW's safety advice for evening clamming is short. Don't clam in areas you don't know, bring a reliable light and don't go alone. On a 9:08 p.m. low like the one on October 28, on soft sand that the city says changes from week to week, that advice matters.

Rules and Licenses for When the Beach Opens

The closure doesn't change the standing rules, and ODFW's pages show no new razor clam rules for this season.

• Limit: your daily limit is the first 15 razor clams you dig, of any size or condition, with no sorting or releasing.
• Gear: dig by hand, or with a shovel, clam gun or tube that has an opening of at least 4 inches if round or 4 by 3 inches if oval.
• License: everyone 12 and older needs a shellfish license. ODFW sells annual, daily and multi-day versions.
• Where to buy: Englund Marine & Industrial Supply in Astoria sells shellfish licenses for Oregon residents and three-day licenses for nonresidents, and it carries clam guns and clam shovels. ODFW's list of license agents also includes Bud's RV Park & Grocery in Seaside, plus Fred Meyer, Big 5 Sporting Goods and Walmart in Warrenton.

There's encouraging background from last fall's count, though it's last year's data. ODFW's September 2025 survey of the Clatsop beaches found 1.47 juvenile clams per square meter, about twice the 20-year average of 0.75. Young and adult clams together came to 2.47 per square meter, the third-highest count since assessments began in 2004. We didn't find a 2026 survey, and that count was taken before this year's toxin spike. It shows the beach had plenty of clams going into this fall. It doesn't say anything about when the toxin levels will drop.

What's Open in the Meantime

The October 2 announcement closed razor clams only. Mussels, bay clams and crab were all open coastwide that day. Crabbers have their own calendar change coming up. Ocean waters close to crabbing from October 16 through November 30, while bays, beaches, estuaries, piers and jetties stay open all year unless toxins close them.

ODA's shellfish safety hotline, 1-800-448-2474, is the fastest way to learn the status before any evening trip. For questions, ODA's shellfish desk is at (503) 986-4726. The ODA closure page also offers email alerts for closures and reopenings. ODFW updates its weekly crabbing and clamming report too. The first reading to check is the October 12 sample.

Plenty of Gearhart's fall evenings follow the tide table, and Jenny Frank knows that rhythm firsthand. If you're thinking about a home near the 10th Street ramp, or you have questions about owning a place on this stretch of beach, Let's Connect.

This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.