Pismo Beach police and CDFW recover 494 clams; three people arrested

A weekend clamming stop on Pismo Beach turned into a commercial-fishing case. The California Statewide Law Enforcement Association said that over Oct. 3–4, 2026, a Pismo Beach police officer saw four people with what looked like a large quantity of clams well after legal clamming hours. Two people fled when contacted. One of them later came back.

Officers recovered 494 Pismo clams. Only 16 met the legal size for harvest. None of the people had a valid fishing license, a measuring device, or a clam fork. The three who were still there, all from the Bay Area, were arrested and booked into county jail on multiple commercial fishing-related violations.

The clams were put back. CSLEA said responding personnel reburied all of the recovered clams and expect them to survive. Pismo Beach police thanked the California Department of Fish and Wildlife for help with the investigation. The association posted the account on Oct. 8.

This is a The Gillnet news desk summary, not a reprint.

Source: California Statewide Law Enforcement Association — CDFW assists Pismo Beach police with clamming investigation (Oct. 8, 2026).