WDFW Beach Season Information
Indian Island County Park/Lagoon Beach: Clam, mussel, and oyster seasons OPEN April 1 through June 30, 2024, from the jetty boundary with Port Townsend Ship Canal/Portage Beach eastward to the beach access stairs on Flagler Rd near milepost 4. Harvesting seasons apply to salt marshes and tidal beach area.
Isthmus Beach: Clam, mussel, and oyster season OPEN for harvest year-round from the beach access stairs on Flagler Rd near milepost 4 eastward toward the land bridge between Marrowstone and Indian Islands.
The boundary between Indian Island County Park/Lagoon Beach/Isthmus Beach and Port Townsend Ship Canal tidelands is just north of the landward end of the jetty at the south end of the Ship Canal. See beach map below for the approximate north boundary of Indian Island County Park/Lagoon Beach/Isthmus Beach. Because Indian Island County Park may be open for clam harvest when Port Townsend Ship Canal is closed, harvesters are encouraged to be familiar with this boundary. The southeastern boundary between Lagoon Beach and Isthmus Beach is marked by the access stairs on Flagler Rd near milepost 4. Lagoon Beach and Isthmus Beach have different harvest seasons.
WDFW shellfish seasons indicate the specific times of year when harvesting is permitted. Before heading to the beach, please also check the Department of Health (DOH) information below which is related to health of the shellfish and may be updated daily. To harvest on this beach, it must be both during the WDFW approved season and approved by the DOH.
Lagoon Beach: This is a good clam beach. There is over a mile of public beach. There is good digging for butter clams, native littleneck clams, Manila clams, cockles and horse clams just below the main (north) parking lot in the area around the tidal channel that drains the lagoon. The littleneck clams tend to be higher on the beach while the butter and horse clams are lower in the tidal zone. There are productive clam areas in sand and gravel substrate on this beach from the main county park (north) access all the way to the south border. Geoducks may be found on this beach below the -2.0 foot tide level. Oysters may be found in very limited numbers.
Isthmus Beach: The eastern end of the Indian Island County Park beach complex consists of large sand flats that are exposed during minus tides. Horse clams and cockles are found in this area. Oysters are not common on this beach.
To reach the site from the west on Highway 104 take the Chimacum/Port Townsend/Quilcene exit (a left hand turn) and travel north on Center Road for about 10 miles to Chimacum. Go straight through the four-way stop and continue about two miles to Port Hadlock. Turn right onto Oak Bay Road and proceed for one mile to Flagler Road. There is a sign at this turn for Indian Island. Take a left and continue across the Indian Island Bridge on Flagler Road for about a half a mile. The north access to Indian Island County Park/Lagoon Beach/Isthmus Beach is on the right and is marked by a Jefferson County Parks sign (access to Lagoon Beach, Lagoon Beach North). There is a parking lot at the end of the road.
To reach the site from the east on Highway 104 from the Hood Canal Bridge take the Port Townsend/Port Ludlow exit (a right hand turn) and travel north on Beaver Valley Road (Highway 19) for about seven miles to Chimacum. Take a right at the four-way stop and continue about two miles to Port Hadlock. Turn right onto Oak Bay road and proceed for one mile to Flagler Road. There is a sign at this turn for Indian Island. Take a left and continue across the Indian Island Bridge on Flagler Road for about a half a mile. The main county park (north) access to Indian Island County Park/Lagoon Beach/Isthmus Beach is on the right and is marked by a Jefferson County Parks sign (access to lagoon Beach, Lagoon Beach North).
The main county park (north) access to Indian Island County Park/Lagoon Beach/Isthmus Beach is on the right and is marked by a Jefferson County Parks sign (access to lagoon Beach, Lagoon Beach North). There is a parking lot at the end of the road.
You can also access this beach from three pull out/parking areas just south of the main county park access: There is one access point about a half a mile south of the main county park access, and and another a short distance more to the south. There is also an access point near the south end of this beach just before Flagler Road crosses the land bridge and turns north towards Nordland and Fort Flagler State Park on Marrowstone Island.