Guide
Oysters: the season, the harvest areas and who to call
Checked October 9, 2026 against the Coastal Resources Division’s press releases, its Shellfish and Recreational Shellfish Harvest pages, and its recreational harvest area map.
The Department of Natural Resources’ Coastal Resources Division (CRD) runs Georgia’s oyster harvest. It closes the season every summer and reopens it in the autumn, and it announces each change in a press release. The shellfish tile reads those releases and gives the season’s word. CRD does not publish which harvest areas are closed on a given day, so the tile cannot tell you that. It gives you the nearest area and the number to call.
Call before you go. CRD: “For current harvest area status information, call the Shellfish and Water Quality Program at (912)264-7218.” 912-264-7218.
Harvest only in a recreational harvest area. CRD’s web map shows where they are and where you are standing.
What the tile shows
- The season. CRD’s Shellfish page says oyster harvest “is closed from June 1 through September 30 every year, unless conditions warrant shortening or extending the season.” Each change comes as a press release, and the tile reads the newest ones. In 2026 the summer closure was extended because the water stayed above 81 degrees, and harvest reopened at 6 a.m. on October 8.
- In season means the season is running. It does not mean every area is open: CRD closes an area when its monthly bacteria samples run high, and says so by phone.
- Closed means a release, or the June-to-September closure itself, has closed oyster harvest statewide.
- Check means the newest season release could not be read for certain, or there is none in CRD’s recent news. The tile never guesses an opening.
- The tile is about oysters. The September 2026 release said clam harvest in approved areas stayed open through the extended oyster closure.
The nearest harvest area to each town
CRD has seven recreational harvest areas, one or more in each coastal county with shellfish water. The miles are to the nearest edge of the area, measured on CRD’s own map layer.
| Town | Nearest recreational harvest area | Miles |
|---|---|---|
| Tybee Island | Oyster Creek Area | 3.4 |
| Savannah | Oyster Creek Area | 9.3 |
| Thunderbolt | Oyster Creek Area | 6.3 |
| Wilmington Island | Oyster Creek Area | 2.7 |
| Skidaway Island | Oyster Creek Area | 8.4 |
| Richmond Hill | Medway River Public Harvest Area | 13.5 |
| Midway | Medway River Public Harvest Area | 11.1 |
| Sunbury | Medway River Public Harvest Area | 1.9 |
| Darien | Old Teakettle Creek Area | 8.3 |
| Sapelo Island | Old Teakettle Creek Area | 2.3 |
| Brunswick | Jointer Island Area | 3.1 |
| St. Simons Island | Jointer Island Area | 8.2 |
| Sea Island | Jointer Island Area | 11.2 |
| Jekyll Island | Jointer Island Area | 2.9 |
| Woodbine | Mumford Creek Area | 14.8 |
| Kingsland | Mumford Creek Area | 12.5 |
| St. Marys | South Brickhill Area | 7.5 |
| Cumberland Island | South Brickhill Area | 1.3 |
What it cannot tell you
Whether a particular area is closed today, the bag limits, and the licence you need. CRD’s Recreational Shellfish Harvest page and the state’s fishing regulations cover the rules.
Sources
- CRD, Recent Press Releases — the oyster season releases the tile reads
- CRD, Shellfish & Water Quality — the June through September closure and the monthly sampling
- CRD, Recreational Shellfish Harvest — the harvest areas, the county maps and the number to call
- CRD, Recreational Shellfish Harvest web map — the seven areas