Mechanical harvest season is December 1-March 31. No more than 15 bags at 250 clams per bag may be taken per fishing operation in North River, Newport River and Bogue Sound while no more than 25 bags at 250 clams per bag may be taken in Core Sound and New River. Hard clams are mostly estuarine dependent mollusks found in sandy bottom as well as in vegetated bottom. Hard clams spawn from May through November when water temperatures reach between 68 an 86 degrees. The larvae go through several pelagic stages before settling onto a suitable substrate.
Hard clams are suspension feeding bivalves and feed on diatoms.