Always call the town hotline before you go. Bed status changes after rain and for other public-health reasons, and the hotline (not this page) is the authoritative answer.
The Niantic River, between Waterford and East Lyme, Connecticut, is one of the few places on Long Island Sound with a published recreational bay scallop season. Here is what the official East Lyme shellfish page says (East Lyme shellfish regulations), read on October 20, 2026.
2026 season dates and hours
East Lyme states: “A scallop season will be held annually from November 15 to January 31 from 8:00AM to 4:00PM.” Because it is stated as an annual rule, the 2026–27 season would run November 15, 2026 to January 31, 2027, 8 AM – 4 PM, unless the commission announces a change. We have not seen a separate 2026 announcement, so call first.
Permits
East Lyme says scalloping “is covered by other regulations and permits” and links a “WELSCO Scallop Permit” poster (dated 09/22/25 in its file name). We did not extract the scallop permit fee or limits from that poster, so we do not list them here. Ask the Waterford or East Lyme Town Clerk.
For clams and other shellfish, the commission's published clamming permit fees are: Daily resident: $10; Daily non-resident: $15; Seasonal resident: $50; Seasonal non-resident: $75; Senior seasonal resident: $25; Senior seasonal non-resident: $35. Permits are sold at the Waterford and East Lyme Town Clerk offices and at local tackle shops (the town names Mackey's Bait & Tackle and J & B Tackle). Seniors qualify at 65. Children under 12 with a permit holder may help, within one permit's limit. The commission does not refund permit fees for any reason, including closures from bad weather.
Where: the seasonal areas
Niantic River conditional areas A & E (year-round), B & F (closed seasonally May 1 – Nov 15). Areas B and F are closed seasonally between May 1 and November 15, which is why the season opening lines up with mid-November. See the recreational map (the town's classification map was updated 07/02/2025).
Rain and other closures
A 1½-inch rainfall in 24 hours closes a conditional area for at least 7 days. The commission takes water samples after 5 days and then announces whether the area reopens. Closures can also follow sewage or chemical releases or other public-health reasons.
How to check status
- Call the shellfish hotline: 860-444-5812.
- Look at the signal disks: red means closed, white means open. They are at the state boat launch on Rope Ferry Road in Waterford (Areas A and B), Hole in the Wall Beach (Area E) and Crescent Beach (Area F).
Two commissions manage the water: the Waterford–East Lyme Shellfish Commission (Niantic River, Areas A and B) and the East Lyme Harbor Management/Shellfish Commission (Niantic Bay, Areas E and F).
See the full Waterford & East Lyme (Niantic River) page for clam limits and all sources.
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