Apalachicola Bay wild oyster harvest opens Oct. 1 with three reefs

Wild oyster harvest is open again in Apalachicola Bay. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission set the season in an Aug. 5, 2026 release: Oct. 1, 2026, through Feb. 28, 2027, for endorsed commercial harvesters and permitted recreational harvesters.

Three reef sites are open: NWFW Cat Point, Cat Point Spur, and Peanut Ridge. The total annual harvest limit is 2,560 bags.

Florida Politics, writing Oct. 1, called it the first harvest since 2020. Harvest is by hand or hand tongs only, with a 3-inch minimum. Dredges and other mechanical gear stay out. A recreational ABRO permit tags a specific reef. One bag is two 5-gallon buckets, one 10-gallon container, or 60 pounds.

This is a The Gillnet news desk summary, not a reprint.

Source: FWC — Apalachicola Bay oyster season (Aug. 5, 2026). Also: Florida Politics — FWC opens commercial and recreational oyster harvesting in Apalachicola Bay (Oct. 1, 2026).