On the Water · Amagansett
Clamming Napeague Bay
Napeague's tidal flats are East Hampton's most productive littleneck and cherrystone grounds. There is no commercial operator — you buy the permit at Town Hall, walk out at dead low tide, and rake your dinner.
- Skill level
- Beginner
- Season
- Sep-Apr (soft-clam harvest prohibited May 1 - Aug 31)
- Duration
- half day
- Cost
- Town shellfish permit required; fee set by Town Board resolution and not published in the ordinance
- Group size
- Any
- Age
- All
- Gear
- Rake, bucket, town permit
- Weather
- Low tide
Safety
Soft clams may not be taken between May 1 and August 31 inclusive, and parts of Napeague Bay are uncertified from May 15 to October 15 - check the DEC Public Shellfish Mapper before going out. No shellfish may be taken between sunset and sunrise. Permit holders must be 12 or older; only legal-sized clams (1" thick at the hinge for hard clams).
Where it happens
Operators (0)
This adventure has no commercial operator. See safety note above and the permit information below.
Permits & Regulations
East Hampton Town Shellfish Permit
Town Clerk, 159 Pantigo Road, issues shellfish permits 9am-3:30pm Monday to Friday. Soft clams are closed May 1 - Aug 31 and Napeague Bay carries uncertified areas May 15 - Oct 15.
159 Pantigo Road, East Hampton, NY 11937
Price: Personal (noncommercial) and commercial permits issued to residents and taxpayers 12+; the Town Board sets the fee by resolution. Residents 65+ pay nothing beyond a $1.50 gauge.
NY DEC Region 1 — Marine Bureau
NYSDEC Division of Marine Resources publishes the Public Shellfish Mapper covering year-round and seasonal closures, conditional harvest areas and water-sampling stations, plus the 6NYCRR Part 41 closure descriptions.
Price: Free; DEC publishes the Public Shellfish Mapper