oysters
Texas oyster season: when it opens, which areas close and what it means for diners
The Texas public waters oyster season (1 November to 30 April), how TPWD opens and closes harvest areas, how the 2025 to 2026 season went, DSHS health closures and the recreational rules.
Key points
- The Texas oyster season in public waters runs from 1 November to 30 April, Monday to Saturday, sunrise to 3:30 p.m.[A]
- Opening day does not mean every bay opens. TPWD samples each harvest area and only opens those with enough legal oysters, 3 inches or larger, and it closes areas during the season when numbers drop.[B][C]
- Separately, the Texas Department of State Health Services can close areas at any time for rainfall, flooding, hurricanes, spills or harmful algal blooms.[D]
- As of 29 September 2026, TPWD had not yet announced which areas open on 1 November 2026. In the last two years that announcement came in the second half of October.[B][E]
When does oyster season open in Texas?
Under TPWD’s recreational rules, oysters may be taken Monday to Saturday from 1 November to 30 April, between sunrise and 3:30 p.m.[A] The commercial season follows the same November to April window.[26]
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oysters (TX public waters) |
How TPWD decides which areas open
The coast is divided into numbered harvest areas, such as TX-1 in Galveston Bay or TX-14 in Matagorda Bay. Before the season, TPWD samples the reefs and opens only the areas that meet its thresholds for the abundance of legal-size oysters, 3 inches or greater. During the season it keeps sampling and closes or reopens areas as they cross those thresholds.[B][C]
How the 2025 to 2026 season went
The last season shows how much the map can change between November and April.
| Date | What TPWD did |
|---|---|
| 23 Oct 2025 | Announced openings for 1 November: TX-1, TX-5 and TX-7 in Galveston Bay; TX-13, TX-19, TX-20 and TX-21 in Matagorda Bay; TX-29 and TX-30 in Aransas Bay; TX-33 in Corpus Christi Bay; and TX-34 in the Lower Laguna Madre. TPWD said it had departed from strict adherence to its thresholds that year to give the commercial fleet more room.[B] |
| Jan to Feb 2026 | Closed TX-19 and TX-21 in Matagorda Bay and TX-5 in Galveston Bay (from 14 February) after samples showed low numbers of legal oysters.[C] |
| 9 Mar 2026 | Reopened TX-14 in Matagorda Bay after it met the criteria.[C] |
| 14 to 15 Apr 2026 | Closed TX-7 in Galveston Bay and TX-20 in Matagorda Bay.[C] |
| 21 Apr 2026 | Closed TX-1, the last area open in Galveston Bay, nine days before the season’s official end.[C] |
The Texas Tribune reported in 2023 that low oyster numbers had kept large parts of the coast closed in recent seasons.[25] In short, the legal season is six months long, but how much of the coast is actually open, and for how long, changes every year.
Health closures are a separate system
TPWD manages the oyster population. Food safety is the job of the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS), which classifies shellfish waters as Approved, Conditionally Approved, Restricted or Prohibited. Any water without a designation counts as Prohibited.[D] DSHS can close areas because of high rainfall and runoff, flooding, hurricanes and other extreme weather, major spills, harmful algal blooms or wastewater treatment failures, and it notes that the status of harvest areas may change every day.[D] Recreational harvesters may only take oysters from waters DSHS has approved.[A]
DSHS publishes a harvest area map and viewer, and the current status is also available on its toll-free line in Texas, 800-685-0361.[D]
Rules for recreational harvesters
- Days and hours: Monday to Saturday, sunrise to 3:30 p.m., 1 November to 30 April.[A]
- Minimum size: 3 inches along the longest length of the shell. Smaller oysters and dead shell must be culled and returned to the reef, with a 5 percent tolerance by number.[A]
- Limit: no more than 2 sacks of legal oysters per person, where a sack is 110 pounds including dead shell and the sack.[A]
- Gear: by hand, tongs or a dredge no wider than 14 inches. Using tongs or a dredge from a boat requires an additional sport oyster boat license.[A]
- Closed minor bays include Christmas Bay, Carancahua Bay, Powderhorn Lake, Hynes Bay, St. Charles Bay and South Bay.[A]
Check the full TPWD rules and the DSHS map before you go; this summary is not legal advice.
What the season means if you are eating out in Spring
Most people reading this are ordering oysters, not harvesting them. Restaurants can buy from other states and from farmed sources, so oysters stay on menus year round even when Texas areas are closed. Texas Gulf oysters are most likely to be on the menu from November to April, and less likely when Galveston Bay areas close early, as they did in spring 2026. If the origin matters to you, ask where today’s oysters are from.
See our oysters in Spring, TX guide for oyster bars in the area, and charbroiled oysters if you prefer them cooked. The FDA advises pregnant women, children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems to avoid raw oysters.[27]
FAQ
When does oyster season start in Texas?
1 November. The season in Texas public waters runs to 30 April, Monday to Saturday, sunrise to 3:30 p.m. TPWD decides before opening day which harvest areas meet its thresholds.
Which Texas bays are open for oysters in 2026?
As of 29 September 2026, TPWD had not announced the areas for the 2026 to 2027 season. In 2025 the announcement came on 23 October. We will update this page when it is published.
Why do oyster areas close before 30 April?
TPWD closes an area when sampling shows too few legal oysters, 3 inches or larger. DSHS can also close areas for health reasons such as heavy rain, flooding, spills or harmful algal blooms.
What is the oyster limit in Texas?
For recreational harvest, no more than 2 sacks of legal oysters per person, where a sack is 110 pounds including dead shell and the sack.
Can I get oysters in Spring outside the season?
Usually yes. Restaurants can buy oysters from other states and farms, so they are served all year; Texas Gulf oysters are simply more common in season.
Sources for this page
- Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Recreational oyster regulations (Outdoor Annual), checked 29 September 2026. https://tpwd.texas.gov/regulations/outdoor-annual/fishing/shellfish-regulations/oyster-regulations
- Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, “TPWD Opening Certain Oyster Harvest Areas Along the Coast”, news release, 23 October 2025. https://tpwd.texas.gov/newsmedia/releases/?req=20251023b
- Texas Parks and Wildlife Department news releases, 2026: closing TX-19 (16 January), TX-21 (4 February), TX-5 (11 February); opening TX-14 (5 March); closing TX-7 and TX-20 (10 April); closing TX-1 (17 April). https://tpwd.texas.gov/newsmedia/releases/?req=20260116a , https://tpwd.texas.gov/newsmedia/releases/?req=20260204a , https://tpwd.texas.gov/newsmedia/releases/?req=20260211a , https://tpwd.texas.gov/newsmedia/releases/?req=20260305b , https://tpwd.texas.gov/newsmedia/releases/?req=20260410d , https://tpwd.texas.gov/newsmedia/releases/?req=20260417a
- Texas Department of State Health Services, Shellfish Harvest Area Status and Maps, checked 29 September 2026. https://www.dshs.texas.gov/seafood-aquatic-life-group/information-on-consumption-advisories-possession-bans-rescinded-orders-seafood-aquatic-life/shellfish-harvest-map
- Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, “Texas Oyster Season Opens Nov. 1”, news release, 17 October 2024. https://tpwd.texas.gov/newsmedia/releases/?req=20241017b