State law limits recreational harvest to no more than one bushel (combined total volume) of clams, oysters and mussels per day. Check Marine Permits and Licenses for a complete list of commercial fishing permits.įreshwater shellfish may only be taken or harvested with a license to collect or possess.

Commercial PermitsĪ Shellfish Digger Permit is required to harvest shellfish in excess of the recreational harvest limit. Contact the town you're harvesting from for more information. Local towns have additional restrictions on catch limits, size limits, season, type of gear and may require residency and additional permits. No DEC permit is required for recreational shellfish harvesting from state lands.

All clams, oysters, mussels and other scallops may be taken all year from areas open to shellfishing.

Bay scallops may be taken only from the first Monday in November through March 31.

Check the Official Descriptions of all Shellfish Closures (Part 41) for uncertified (or closed) areas. This interactive map shows shellfish closures, conditional harvesting programs, shellfish harvest zones, aquaculture lease sites and water sampling stations. Use the DEC Public Shellfish Mapper to find areas that are open to shellfishing. Clams, oysters, mussels and scallops may be taken only from areas designated by DEC as certified (or open) for the harvest of clams, oysters, mussels and scallops.

Hard shell clam hand dredge