Hard Clams Regulations in Florida (2026)

Where

Statewide

Size limit

Minimum Size Limit: 1-inch thick across the hinge; Tolerance for Undersized Hard Clams – Up to 3% of hard clams, by count, in any individual bag, package, or container, may be undersize d.; Sorting Requirement: Har d clams must be sorted immediately after they are taken, and undersized hard clams must be return ed alive to the place from where they were taken. No more than 1 bushel of unsorted hard clams may be aboard a vessel. No unsorted clams may be on a vessel under power.

Bag limit

Bag and Vessel Limit s; Bag Limit: 5 gallon s of hard clams, unshucked, per day.; Vessel Limit: 10 gallons of hard clams, unshucked, per day.

Season

Season: Open year-round

• A person may harvest or attempt to harvest a hard clam from Florida Waters only by or with the use of feet, hands, rakes that meet the specifications below.
• Specifications for Rakes – A person may not harvest a hard clam with a rake that has less than 7/8 inch of clear space between the teeth on the horizontal harvesting surface of the rake. A person may not harvest a hard clam with a rake that has less than 7/8 inch of clear space between the bars or dividers of any basket attached to the rake.
• Specifications for Tongs ‒ A person may not harvest a hard clam with tongs that have less than 7/8 inch clear space between the teeth on the horizontal harvesting surface of the tongs. A person may not harvest a hard clam with tongs that have less than 7/8 inch of clear space between the bars or dividers of any basket attached to the tongs.
• Prohibited Gear and Method of Harvest
• A person may not use a rake, dredge, or other mechanical device to harvest hard clams in a grass bed.
• A person may not use wire or net in the basket of an implement that is used to harvest hard clams manually.
• A person may not use a rake, dredge or other mechanical device manually to harvest hard clams if the engine of any vessel used in connection with the harvest of the hard clams is running. A person using a rake, dredge or other mechanical device manually to harvest hard clams shall turn off the engine of any vessel used in connection with the harvest of the hard clams prior to using any of the gear and may not restart the engine while the gear is in use.
• (any species of the genus Mercenaria also known as quahog)
• Saltwater Recreational Fishing License, unless exempt.
• Can oysters and barnacles be used as bait or chum for sheepshead?
• Yes, so long as you are adhering to the regulations for each species.
• Oysters and barnacles are very different when it comes to regulations.
• Oysters have closed seasons, bag limits, size limits and can only be legally harvested in specific shellfish harvesting areas that are classified as "approved" or "conditionally approved" and in the "open" status. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Division of Aquaculture manages these shellfish harvesting areas.
• Barnacles on the other hand do not have size limits or specified bag limits, which means that you can harvest up to 100 pounds per person per day with a recreational saltwater fishing license and you can use them to chum sheepshead. You can also simply scrape them off bridge piles and allow them to sink and attract sheepshead. Do not scrape barnacles from private docks or other private structures without permission of the property owner.

Official source