Clam Digging on the Kenai Peninsula of Alaska

When to Dig Razor Clams on the Kenai Peninsula

Razor Clams may be legally dug throughout the year. Most digging, however, occurs from April through September. The "table quality" of the clam is generally considered best in early summer, just prior to the July-August spawning.

On the northern beaches of Cohoe, Clam Gulch and Oil Pad Access, razor clam beds are exposed on any minus tide. Tides of -2.0 feet or lower are, however, suggested for best results. Tides must be progressively lower on the more southern beaches because of the steeper gradient. Tides should be -3.0 feet or lower in the Ninilchik and Deep Creek areas with -4.0 feet or lower recommended for Whiskey Gulch area.

To determine when minus tides occur and how low they will be, it is necessary to consult a local tide book. These are available from many merchants throughout the Peninsula. Since low tides arrive at different times in different areas and it is impossible to furnish a tide chart for every possible location, only a few major areas are included. Corrections for the time and height of tides must be made for all other locations.

Beaches on the western Kenai Peninsula are indexed from the Seldovia Tide chart. In the back of the tide book, a series of corrections is presented for various locations.

Correction for time and tide levels at various beaches can be estimated by relating their location to the sites which are listed in the Seldovia Correction Table found in the Tide Table Book.

The best digging is generally an hour before to two hours after low tide.

You can find a listing of suitable clam tides in the 2008 Clam Tide Tables listed in the Alaska Outdoor Journal. We also provide the Seldovia Tide Tables as well as the Correction Factor table for most places within the district.

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