In a move aimed at supporting Texas’ commercial oyster industry, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) has announced the opening of several bays for both commercial and recreational oyster harvesting beginning at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, November 1. Because the date falls on a weekend, the first legal day for commercial harvest will be Monday, November 3.

Robin Riechers, Director of TPWD’s Coastal Fisheries Division, explained the department’s decision to temporarily ease its usual harvest thresholds for the 2025–2026 season. “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,” Riechers said.

Each year, TPWD conducts pre-season sampling to determine which areas meet the criteria for opening. These criteria include the abundance of legal-sized oysters, defined as those measuring three inches or greater. This season, two areas met the threshold outright, while five additional areas showed a mix of high and low market oyster abundance.

The following areas will be open for harvest:

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 designated shellfish harvesting areas will remain closed to public harvest starting Nov. 1. TPWD will continue to monitor conditions and may adjust access based on updated sampling results.

A map of oyster harvesting zones and current status updates is available through the Texas Department of State Health Services.

This story was featured in yesterday’s episode of On the Dock with Rick Smith, which airs every Wednesday and Friday at 6:15 p.m. on KNCT. Past episodes are available on demand at MyKNCT.com.