Texas Closes Oyster Harvesting in Matagorda Bay

Recent samples did not find enough legally sized oysters to justify keeping the TX-19 harvesting area of Matagorda Bay open until the population increases, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department said this week. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has shut down commercial and recreational oyster harvesting in Matagorda Bay’s TX-19 area effective Jan. 21, 2026, after recent sampling showed too few legal-sized oysters to support fishing. The closure follows TPWD’s established criteria for oyster abundance, which aim to protect reef health and long-term sustainability.

Only 11 of Texas’s 34 shellfish harvesting areas remain open to the public, with a few additional areas accessible through private aquaculture. Officials say the Matagorda Bay closure will stay in place until oyster numbers rebound.

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