North Bay (Case Inlet)

WDFW Beach Season Information

North Bay (Case Inlet): All state-owned tidelands north of the power transmission lines and those extending 1,900 feet south of the power lines along the eastern shore are:
OPEN for harvest of clams, mussels, and oysters March 1 through April 30.
CLOSED for shellfish harvest May 1 through August 31.
REOPENS for harvest September 1 through October 15.
Harvest is prohibited from one hour after official sunset until one hour before official sunrise.
 (See Beach Map)

False signage warning
This site may be subject to misleading signage posted unlawfully by third parties, including stolen official WDFW signs. The official season is March 1 through April 30 and September 1 through October 15. WDFW will only post "closed signage" when the site is closed outside of those seasons. Please report any suspicions of false signage or other attempts to obstruct fishing to WDFW. It is unlawful to interfere with or obstruct fishing or post signage preventing hunting or fishing on any land not owned or leased by the person doing the posting. Violations include both infractions and misdemeanors (RCW 77.15.160, RCW 77.15.210) .

Parking is limited at this beach to less than 25 vehicles and parking on the street (HWY 302) is illegal. If the parking lot is full, please choose an alternative beach for that day’s recreational activity. Belfair State Park and Twanoh State Park are two nearby options with shellfishing opportunity (check seasons). 

Help us be a good neighbor!

  • Harvest prohibited during hours of darkness.
  • No fireworks or campfires allowed.
  • Upper portions of the beach may be privately owned.
  • Avoid trespass and respect private property boundary markers.
  • All pets must be leashed.
  • Use bathrooms--"relieving yourself" on the beach is prohibited.
  • No overnight parking or camping is allowed.

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.

Harvest profile

This beach has been enhanced with oysters. 

This beach does not require a very low tide to access good clam habitat. A +2 foot tide or lower will expose enough of the beach to harvest clams. This is an excellent beach for Manila and native littleneck clams. The best area for digging clams is just north of the access trail, but there are clams throughout the beach and often occurring higher in the intertidal zone than other locations. There are also some butter clams, eastern softshell clams and cockles on this beach at lower abundance.

 

Beach map
Image
NORTH BAY  map
Disclaimer: Map areas identify approximate public property boundaries and should not be considered legal property boundaries. Many of these public beaches have no upland entrance and must be accessed by boat. Please respect adjacent private property. This map is provided for informational purposes only. The accuracy of this map is not guaranteed.
Directions

From Bremerton, drive south on Highway 3 through Belfair. After passing North Mason High School, turn left onto Highway 302 heading east toward Purdy, Gig Harbor and Tacoma. Drive about 2.6 miles to powerlines crossing North Bay. Look for the signed parking area on the west side of the highway just north of the power lines.

From Tacoma, drive north on Highway 16 past Gig Harbor; take Highway 302 west past Purdy and continue about 1.3 miles past Victor Rd. to powerlines crossing the bay. Look for the signed parking area on the west side of the highway just north of the power lines.

From Shelton, head north on Highway 3. At Allyn, turn right onto North Bay Rd. and follow around the head of the bay about 1.9 miles to Highway 302. Continue on 302 about 1.3 miles to powerlines crossing the bay. Look for the signed parking area on the west side of the highway just north of the power lines.

The WDFW access to the public tidelands is immediately north of the powerlines crossing the bay. Do not trespass on private upland parcels to the north and south of this access. There is a paved parking lot at the site. The public tidelands extend 1,600 feet to the south of the powerlines and northward nearly to the head of the bay.

Parking

Parking is limited at this beach to less than 25 vehicles and parking on the street (HWY 302) is illegal. If the parking lot is full, please choose an alternative beach for that day’s recreational activity. Possible nearby alternative harvest locations include Oakland BayBelfair State Park, or Twanoh State Park (but check seasons). 

Facilities

Bathrooms are unlocked during the shellfishing season only, and may be locked during hours of darkness. The access gate is unlocked during the shellfishing season only. Non-shellfish harvesting activities are allowed at this site when shellfish harvest is closed.