AUSTIN – The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) is opening TX-20 in Matagorda Bay to commercial and recreational oyster harvest beginning at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 20.

Based on samples recently collected by TPWD, the area meets 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).

All areas currently closed to harvest will continue to be monitored by TPWD and will reopen when criteria thresholds are met. As of Tuesday, Dec. 20, these areas will be open to public oyster harvest:

Galveston Bay

• TX- 8

Matagorda Bay

• TX- 11
• TX- 19
• TX- 20

Corpus Christi Bay

• TX- 33

Lower Laguna Madre

• TX- 34

Aransas Bay

• TX- 29 (oyster harvest is open from south of a line beginning at 28º06’ 52.19″, 96º 55’ 32.52″ (28.11450º N, -96.92570° W) and ending at 28° 06’ 38.19″, 96° 53’ 17.41″ (28.11061° N, -96.88817° W)

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.