The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission Sets the 2025-2026 Public Oyster Season

The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission set the 2025-2026 oyster season based on the annual oyster stock assessment provided by Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries biologists and input from the Louisiana Oyster Task Force.
 
The following dates were set for the upcoming oyster season:

• Vermilion/East and West Cote Blanche Bay/Atchafalaya Bay Public Oyster Seed Grounds will open at one-half hour before sunrise on Monday, September 8, 2025, and shall close to the harvest of seed oysters for bedding purposes only at one-half hour after sunset on Wednesday, April 1, 2026.
• The Sister Lake Oyster Seed Reservation will open for the harvest of seed oysters for bedding purposes only one half-hour before sunrise on Monday, September 29, 2025, and shall close one half-hour after sunset on the same day.
• The portion of the Public Oyster Seed Grounds east of the Mississippi River and north of the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet, to only include the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) Shellfish Harvest Areas 1 and 2, will open for the harvest of seed oysters for bedding purposes only one half-hour before sunrise on Monday, September 29, 2025, and shall close one half-hour after sunset on Wednesday, October 1, 2025.
• Vermilion/East and West Cote Blanche Bay/Atchafalaya Bay Public Oyster Seed Grounds will open to the harvest of market oysters for direct sale at one-half hour before sunrise on Monday, October 13, 2025, and shall close to the harvest of market oysters at one-half hour after sunset on Wednesday, April 1, 2026.
• The Calcasieu Lake Public Oyster Area will open solely for sacking of market-size oysters: the West Cove shall open one-half hour before sunrise on Sataurday, November 1, 2025, and the east side shall open one-half hour before sunrise on Thursday, January 1, 2026. These areas shall close on Thursday, April 30, 2026
• Portions of the Public Oyster Seed Grounds east of the Mississippi River and north of the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet, to include the LDH Shellfish Harvest Areas 1, 2, 3, and 4, will open for sacking of market-size oysters only one half-hour before sunrise on Monday, November 3, 2025, and shall close at one-half hour after sunset on Wednesday, April 1, 2026 (or if biological data indicates that harvest levels have been met).
• Portions of the Public Oyster Seed Grounds east of the Mississippi River and south of the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet, to only include LDH Shellfish Harvest Area 5, will open for sacking of market-size oysters only one half-hour before sunrise on Monday, November 3, 2025, and shall close at one-half hour after sunset on Friday, November 28, 2025 (or if biological data indicates that harvest levels have been met).
• The Sister Lake Public Oyster Seed Reservation shall open for sacking of market oysters for direct sale at one-half hour before sunrise on Monday, November 3, 2025, and shall close to the harvest of market oysters at one-half hour after sunset on Friday, November 14, 2025.

During the 2025-26 oyster season, the following provisions will be in effect:

• Any vessel from which any person(s) takes or attempts to take oysters from the public oyster areas, seed grounds and reservations described above, except for those harvesting from the Vermilion/East and West Cote Blanche/Atchafalaya Bay Public Oyster Seed Grounds, shall be restricted to a daily limit of sacks of oysters per vessel. The daily limit shall not exceed 30 sacks of oysters per vessel and the possession limit shall be twice the daily limit for the Public Oyster Seed Grounds and Reservations east of the Mississippi River. The daily and possession limits for the Sister Lake Public Oyster Seed Reservation shall not exceed 30 sacks of oysters per vessel per day. The daily and possession limits for Calcasieu Lake shall not exceed 15 sacks of oysters per vessel per day in aggregate between West Cove and the east side of the lake. A sack of oysters for the purposes of this Declaration of Emergency shall be defined as the size described in R.S. 56:440. If sacks smaller than the size described in R.S. 56:440 are used, the daily harvest and possession limits shall be based on the number of sacks used, not the size of the sack or other measures. The daily take and possession limit shall not apply to vessels harvesting seed oysters for bedding purposes, at such times and in such public oyster areas where the harvest of seed oysters is allowed. The possession limit shall not apply to vessels operating under a valid Oyster Cargo Vessel Permit, and these properly-permitted vessels shall not harvest oysters while operating under the cargo permit.
• All vessels on the public oyster areas, seed grounds and reservations for the purpose of harvesting seed oysters shall not have sacks or other containers typically used to hold oysters on board the harvest vessel.
• A vessel is limited to either harvesting market oysters for direct sale (sacking) or harvesting seed oysters for bedding purposes on any one day and is specifically prohibited from doing both on the same day.
• If any person on a vessel takes or attempts to take oysters from the public oyster areas, seed grounds or reservations described above, all oysters contained on that vessel shall be deemed to have been taken from said public oyster areas, seed grounds or reservations, from the time harvest begins until all oysters are off-loaded dockside.
• The harvest of seed oysters from a public oyster areas, seed grounds and reservations shall be for the purpose of moving the live oyster resource. The removal of more than 15 percent of non-living reef material in bedding loads is prohibited. All vessels shall allow on-board inspection and sampling of seed oyster loads by Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) personnel.
• All oysters harvested from public areas, seed grounds or reservations for the purpose of market sale shall be uncontaminated, sealed and not gaping as described in R.S. 56:433.
• All oysters harvested from public oyster areas, seed grounds or reservations for the purpose of direct sale shall measure a minimum of three inches from hinge to bill as described in R.S. 56:433.
• Prior to leaving public oyster areas, seed grounds or reservations with oysters harvested from said areas, all oysters must be sacked, the number of sacks shall be recorded in a log book, and each sack shall be properly tagged, with the exception of bedding vessels harvesting seed oysters.
• All vessels located in public oyster areas, seed grounds or reservations during those times between one-half hour after sunset and one-half hour before sunrise, shall have all oyster scrapers unshackled.
• In Calcasieu Lake, oyster scrapers are prohibited. Oyster harvesting shall be limited to oyster tongs or by hand. Oyster tongs shall be made as a grasping device consisting of two pieces joined by a pivot or hinged like scissors used for picking up objects.
• Every vessel harvesting oysters from public oyster areas, seed grounds and reservations for oyster resource shall report harvest information to the LDWF no later than 9 p.m. each day fished. Vessels shall provide the following information: Captain’s name, date of harvest, oyster harvester number, vessel number, the total number of sacks harvested that day, total barrels of seed removed, and the LDH Harvest area fished. Electronic Reporting shall be required and shall be through the eReporting application via smart phone. The eReporting app is supported by both iOS and Android. Fishermen will need to download the app from these links at the Apple Store or Google Play Store then create an account using an email. The registration page requires name, commercial fishing license number and type of license to register. Once the account is created, the fisherman will add their vessels. Follow this link for more information on the eReporting app and how to use it. This reporting does not substitute for trip ticket reporting.

The following areas shall remain closed for the entire 2025/2026 oyster season:

1.         The Hackberry Bay, Lake Mechant, Bay Junop and Bay Gardene Public Oyster Seed Reservations, as described in R.S. 56:434.

2.         That portion of the Public Oyster Seed Grounds east of the Mississippi River, as described in LAC 76:VII.511, within the Department of Health Shellfish Harvest Areas 6 & 7.

3.         The 2023 Drum Bay spat-on-shell broodstock reef with the following coordinates:               

29 degrees 52 minutes 50.471 seconds, -89 degrees 16 minutes 38.502 seconds

29 degrees 52 minutes 54.871 seconds, -89 degrees 16 minutes 25.121 seconds

29 degrees 52 minutes 49.018 seconds, -89 degrees 16 minutes 21.173 seconds

29 degrees 52 minutes 44.382 seconds, -89 degrees 16 minutes 34.559 seconds

4.         The Lake Tambour, Lake Chien, Lake Felicity, Deep Lake and Barataria Bay Public Oyster Seed Grounds as described in LAC 76:VII.517.

5.         The Little Lake Public Oyster Seed Grounds as described in LAC 76:VII.521.

6.         The 2024 Morgan Harbor Cultch Plant with the following coordinates:

29 degrees 49 minutes 00.15 seconds, -89 degrees 18 minutes 30.37 seconds

29 degrees 48 minutes 42.57 seconds, -89 degrees 18 minutes 13.44 seconds

29 degrees 49 minutes 34.91 seconds, -89 degrees 17 minutes 44.92 seconds

29 degrees 49 minutes 21.64 seconds, -89 degrees 17 minutes 25.17 seconds

7.         The 2025 Sister Lake Cultch Plant with the following coordinates:

29 degrees 14 minutes 22.94 seconds, -90 degrees 55 minutes 25.09 seconds

29 degrees 14 minutes 40.10 seconds, -90 degrees 54 minutes 11.51 seconds

29 degrees 14 minutes 01.18 seconds, -90 degrees 55 minutes 20.90 seconds

29 degrees 14 minutes 14.40 seconds, -90 degrees 54 minutes 00.36 seconds

8.         The 2025 Three Mile Pass spat-on-shell reef with the following coordinates:

30 degrees 03 minutes 41.652 seconds, -89 degrees 21 minutes 56.513 seconds

30 degrees 03 minutes 41.652 seconds, -89 degrees 22 minutes 06.904 seconds

30 degrees 03 minutes 26.487 seconds, -89 degrees 22 minutes 06.904 seconds

30 degrees 03 minutes 26.487 seconds, -89 degrees 21 minutes 56.513 seconds

9.         Oyster harvest on the Sabine Lake Public Oyster Area is prohibited as described in R.S. 56:435.1.

10.       Oyster harvest is prohibited on artificial reef sites, as described in LAC 76:VII.537.

The Secretary of the Department was authorized by the Commission to set closure dates and adjust sack limits and/or sacking-only areas based on biological harvest data or if enforcement issues are encountered. The Secretary is also authorized to take emergency action to close, or reopen areas previously closed if the threat to the resource has ended and to open public areas if substantial oyster resources are located.

Public notice of any opening, delay or closing of a season will be provided at least 72 hours prior to such action, unless such closure is ordered by the Louisiana Department of Health for public concerns. Remember to check LDH closure lines before harvesting. Review the current closure lines at LDH.

* The possession limit shall be twice the daily limit. 

**No more than 15 sacks of oysters per vessel per day for the entire Calcasieu Lake. No scrapers: Tong or hand only. 

For 2025-2026 oyster season maps, click here.
 
For more information, contact Robert Caballero at rcaballero@wlf.la.gov or 504-286-4054.