shellfishing Birch Bay
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crappiemaster
- Lieutenant
- Posts: 216
- Joined: Tue Mar 04, 2008 1:35 pm
- Location: Yakima Valley
shellfishing Birch Bay
I am taking my family for a little R&R for a week at Birch bay in July. We have never been up there, but I would like to take the kids clamming and crabbing and a little bit of fishing. Any suggestions on where to go?
RE:shellfishing Birch Bay
Check out a report that I posted in 2008. http://www.washingtonlakes.com/ReportCo ... &lid=9&t=2
Birch bay is a large, shallow bay with vast tidelands. I can't comment on the clamming but the crabbing was fair at best during our trip. As it is so shallow, you may be able to wade the bay and hand pick your crab. All you'll need is a net or a set of long "garbage" tongs and a container to keep your catch in while your out wading.
Also, if you have a boat, Lake Whatcom is close by and offers some great smallmouth and kokanee fishing. Just make sure that your outboard complies with their regulations. The public launch on the North end of the lake is great and was free the last time I used it.
Summary of Boating Restriction Timelines - Lake Whatcom, WA
January 1, 2009—The operation of all carbureted two-stroke engine powered watercraft on Lake
Whatcom is prohibited, except: Watercraft powered by a two-stroke engine that is certified and labeled
as meeting the 2006 or later model year US EPA emissions standards, auxiliary sailboat engines, 10
horsepower or less engines, and all electronic fuel injected two-stroke engines originally purchased
before August 2004.
January 1, 2013—The operation of all carbureted two-stoke auxiliary sailboat engines, all carbureted
two-stroke engines of 10 horsepower or less, and all electronic fuel injected two-stroke engines
originally purchased before August 2004 is prohibited.
City of Bellingham Ordinance 2005-06-045 and Whatcom County Ordinance 2004-02
Birch bay is a large, shallow bay with vast tidelands. I can't comment on the clamming but the crabbing was fair at best during our trip. As it is so shallow, you may be able to wade the bay and hand pick your crab. All you'll need is a net or a set of long "garbage" tongs and a container to keep your catch in while your out wading.
Also, if you have a boat, Lake Whatcom is close by and offers some great smallmouth and kokanee fishing. Just make sure that your outboard complies with their regulations. The public launch on the North end of the lake is great and was free the last time I used it.
Summary of Boating Restriction Timelines - Lake Whatcom, WA
January 1, 2009—The operation of all carbureted two-stroke engine powered watercraft on Lake
Whatcom is prohibited, except: Watercraft powered by a two-stroke engine that is certified and labeled
as meeting the 2006 or later model year US EPA emissions standards, auxiliary sailboat engines, 10
horsepower or less engines, and all electronic fuel injected two-stroke engines originally purchased
before August 2004.
January 1, 2013—The operation of all carbureted two-stoke auxiliary sailboat engines, all carbureted
two-stroke engines of 10 horsepower or less, and all electronic fuel injected two-stroke engines
originally purchased before August 2004 is prohibited.
City of Bellingham Ordinance 2005-06-045 and Whatcom County Ordinance 2004-02
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racfish
- Rear Admiral Two Stars
- Posts: 4716
- Joined: Tue Oct 30, 2007 4:11 pm
- Location: Seward Park area
RE:shellfishing Birch Bay
Be careful in the tidelands at Birch Bay. The tidelands are a gooey mud. I got stuck a few times and lost a shoe.
When youre up to your rear end in alligators,its hard to remember that the initial plan was to drain the swamp.