AUSTIN – The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) will open TX-19 and TX-20 in Matagorda Bay to commercial and recreational oyster harvest beginning at 12:01 a.m. Dec. 13. At the same time, the department will close TX-13 in Matagorda Bay.

Based on samples recently collected by TPWD, TX-19 and TX-20 meet criteria for reopening. These criteria include parameters for oysters reaching certain thresholds based on the abundance of legal-sized oysters (3-inches or greater) and the percentage of small oysters (2-2.9-inches). TPWD samples showed low abundance of legal-sized oysters in TX-13 and will close it according to criteria.

TPWD will continue monitoring all areas currently closed to harvest and will reopen them when they meet criteria thresholds. As of Dec. 13, these areas are open to public oyster harvest:

Galveston Bay

TX- 2

TX- 8

Matagorda Bay

TX- 11

TX- 19

TX- 20

Corpus Christi Bay

TX- 33

Lower Laguna Madre

TX- 34

A map showing oyster harvesting areas as well as the most up-to-date status information on each TX area can be found on the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) website.