UPDATE: The original list of oyster harvesting locations provided by the state and published by Covering Katy has been updated by Texas Parks and Wildlife. The new corrected is below.
AUSTIN (Covering Katy News) — The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is opening several bays to oyster harvesting. Recreational harvest will begin Saturday, Nov. 1, and commercial harvest will begin Monday, Nov. 3.
"In an effort to aid Texas' commercial oyster fishermen this season, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has elected to temporarily depart from strict adherence to the established thresholds for the 2025-2026 season," said Robin Riechers, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Coastal Fisheries Division Director. "Maintaining the balance of conserving oyster resources with fishing opportunities for the commercial industry is important for the industry and for Texas' reefs both now and for the future."
How Texas Determines Oyster Harvest Areas
To establish which harvest areas will be open at the beginning of the oyster season in Texas, TPWD collects samples before the shellfish harvesting season. The factors evaluated include reaching certain thresholds based on the abundance of legal-sized oysters 3 inches or greater.
Seven Harvest Areas Opening for 2025-2026 Season
After evaluating preseason oyster samples, two of the areas opened met the threshold and five additional Texas areas were identified that contained some reefs with a relatively high abundance of market oysters along with reefs of lower abundance. These harvest areas of TX 1, TX 5 and TX 7 in Galveston Bay; TX-13 and TX-20 in Matagorda Bay; along with TX-29 and TX-30 in Aransas Bay will be open for harvest Nov. 1. Opening these Texas areas will provide more fishing opportunities and better distribute the fleet when the 2025-2026 season begins.
TPWD will continue monitoring all harvest areas and will open or close areas based on when respective thresholds are met.
Complete List of Open Oyster Harvest Areas in Texas
The following shellfish harvesting areas will be open to public harvest beginning Nov. 1.:
Galveston Bay
TX-1
TX-5
TX-7
Matagorda Bay
TX-13
TX-19
TX-20
TX-21
Aransas Bay
TX-29
TX-30
Corpus Christi Bay
TX-33
Lower Laguna Madre
TX-34
All other harvest areas not listed above will be closed to public harvest beginning 12:01 a.m. Nov. 1.
A map showing oyster harvesting areas, as well as the most up-to-date status information on each area, can be found on the Texas Department of State Health Services website.