Staff report

The second dig this month for razor clams will open Friday and run through next Sunday on various beaches. State shellfish managers approved the evening dig after tests showed clams are safe to eat.

Digging will be allowed all three evenings at Long Beach and Twin Harbors – the two beaches with the most clams available for harvest, said Dan Ayres, the state’s coastal shellfish manager. Copalis and Mocrocks beaches, popular areas that include Ocean Shores, will be open for just one night of digging, on Saturday.

No digging will be allowed at any beach before noon. The schedule for the upcoming dig and evening low tides is:

Friday: 5:44 p.m., 0 feet, Twin Harbors, Long Beach,

Saturday: 6:18 p.m., -0.2 feet, Twin Harbors, Long Beach, Copalis, Mocrocks

Jan. 27: 6:50 p.m., -0.2 feet, Twin Harbors, Long Beach

Kalaloch remains closed due to concerns about declines in the clam population there.

Ayres said most diggers surveyed during the weeklong opening earlier this month succeeded in getting their daily limit of 15 clams.

“Digger success was high, but it was darn cold out there on the beaches,” he said in a prepared statement. “I strongly recommend dressing for the weather and taking a lantern or powerful flashlight for visibility.”

Ayres pointed out that the best digging occurs one to two hours prior to low tide.

Clam diggers are limited to 15 razor clams per day, and are required to keep the first 15 clams they dig. Each digger’s clams must be kept in a separate container.

All diggers age 15 or older must have an applicable 2012-13 fishing license to harvest razor clams on any beach. Licenses, ranging from a three-day razor clam license to an annual combination fishing license, are available on WDFW’s website at fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov and from license vendors around the state.

Information about current and proposed digs, as well as the location of Washington’s razor clam beaches, is available at wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/shellfish/razorclams/current.html.