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Hard Clam regulations in New York

Clams & oysters · Shellfish & crabs · 2026 season

Hard Clam size limit, season and daily limit

Notes

• No DEC permit, but most towns require a recreational shellfish permit and may set their own limits.

Exact NYSDEC wording

Season

Open year-round from certified areas

Size

1 inch thick across the hinge

Limit

100 clams per day (clams, oysters and mussels together may not exceed 1 bushel per day)

NY certified shellfish areas — as printed

“Hard clam — at least 1 inch thick, measured across the hinge; recreational limit 100 clams. No more than one bushel (combined total volume) of clams, oysters and mussels per day.”

Source: NYSDEC, captured 2026-10-04 (2026 season).

More clams & oysters

About the hard clam

Mollusc species native to the Americas

The hard clam, also known as the round clam, hard-shell clam, or the quahog, is an edible marine bivalve mollusk that is native to the eastern shores of North America and Central America from Prince Edward Island to the Yucatán Peninsula. It is one of many unrelated edible bivalves that in the United States are frequently referred to simply as clams. Older literature sources may use the systematic name Venus mercenaria; this species is in the family Veneridae, the venus clams.

Read more about Hard clam on Wikipedia →

Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Regulations on this page come from NYSDEC, not Wikipedia.

All 48 New York species A–Z →

Frequently asked

What is the size limit for Hard Clam in New York?

1 inch minimum in New York state waters.

How many Hard Clam can you keep per day in New York?

100 clams per day (1 bushel combined shellfish).

When is Hard Clam season in New York?

Open year-round.

Is my Hard Clam a keeper today?

A hard clam is a keeper today if it measures at least 1 inches, with a daily limit of 100.