Oysters Regulations in Virginia (2026)

Where

Public oyster grounds and unassigned grounds (bays & inshore)

Bag limit

It shall be unlawful to exceed the daily individual bushel harvest limit or the daily vessel bushel limit of clean cull oysters in Table 1 in this subsection.

Season

B. It shall be unlawful to harvest clean cull oysters from the public oyster grounds and unassigned grounds, except within the seasons and areas and with the harvest gears as described in Table 1 in this subsection. It shall be unlawful to exceed the daily individual bushel harvest limit or the daily vessel bushel limit of clean cull oysters in Table 1 in this subsection. Table 1 Clean Cull Oyster Harvest Area, Harvest Dates, Harvest Gear, and Daily Bushel Limits Harvest Area Harvest Dates Harvest Gear Daily Individual Bushel Limit Daily Vessel Bushel Limit Great Wicomico River Rotation Area 1 December 1, 2026, through December January 31, 2027 Hand Scrape 8 16 Great Wicomico River Rotation Area 2 December 1, 2026, through January 31, 2027 Hand Scrape 8 16 James River Areas 1, 2, and 3 October 15, 2026, through February 28, 2027 Hand Scrape 8 16 Pocomoke Sound Area Public Ground 11 February 15, 2027, through February 28, 2027 Hand Scrape 8 16 Rappahannock River Area 7 January 1, 2027, through February 14, 2027 Hand Scrape 8 16 Rappahannock River Area 8 December 1, 2026, through January 15, 2027 Hand Scrape 8 16 Rappahannock River Rotation Area 1 February 1, 2027, through February 28, 2027 Hand Scrape 8 16 Rappahannock River Rotation Area 6 October 15, 2026, through November 30, 2026 and February 15, 2027, through February 28, 2027 Hand Scrape 8 16 Upper Chesapeake Bay - Blackberry Hangs Area January 1, 2027, through February 28, 2027 Hand Scrape 8 16 Corrotoman Hand Tong Area October 1, 2026, through May 31, 2027 Hand Tong 14 28 Indian Creek October 1, 2026, through May 31, 2027 Hand Tong 14 28 James River Seed Area, including the Deep Water Shoal State Replenishment Seed Area October 1, 2026, through May 31, 2027 Hand Tong 14 28 James River Areas 1, 2, and 3 October 1, 2026, through October 14, 2026, and March 1, 2027, through May 31, 2027 Hand Tong 14 28 Little Wicomico River October 1, 2027, through May 31, 2027 Hand Tong 14 28 Milford Haven October 1, 2026, through May 32, 2027 Hand Tong 14 28 Mobjack Bay Area October 1, 2027, through May 31, 2027 Hand Tong 14 28 Nassawadox Creek Area October 1, 2026, through December 31, 2026 Hand Tong 14 28 Nomini Creek ­Area October 1, 2026, through May 31, 2027 Hand Tong 14 28 Piankatank River Area October 1, 2027, through May 31, 2027 Hand Tong 14 28 Pocomoke Sound Area Public Ground 11 October 1, 2026, through February 14, 2027, and March 1, 2027, through May 31, 2027 Hand Tong 14 28 Pocomoke Sound Hand Tong Area October 1, 2026, through May 31, 2027 Hand Tong 14 28 Rappahannock River Area 7 March 1, 2027, through May 31, 2027 Hand Tong 14 28 Rappahannock River Area 8 March 1, 2027, through May 31,2027 Hand Tong 14 28 Rappahannock River Area 9 October 1, 2026, through May 31, 2027 Hand Tong 14 28 White Shoal October 1, 2026, through May 31, 2027 Hand Tong 14 28 Yeocomico River Area October 1, 2026, through May 31, 2027 Hand Tong 14 28 York River Hand Tong Area October 1, 2026, through May 31, 2027 Hand Tong 14 28 York River Rotation Areas 1 and 2 October 1, 2026, through May 31, 2027 Hand Tong 14 28 Johnsons November 15, 2026, through November 30, 2026 Oyster Dredge 8 16 Pocomoke and Tangier Sound Rotation Area 2 December 1, 2026, through February 28, 2027 Oyster Dredge 8 16 Deep Rock Area November 1, 2026, through March 31, 2027 Patent Tong 8 16 Chesapeake Bay Patent Tong Area October 1, 2026, through March 31, 2027 Patent Tong 8 16 Rappahannock River Rotation Area 1 December 1, 2026, through January 31, 2027 Patent Tong 8 16 Rappahannock River Rotation Area 7 November 1, 2026, through November 30, 2026 Patent Tong 8 16 Seaside Eastern Shore November 1, 2026, through May 31, 2027 By Hand or Hand Tong 14 28

• A. It shall be unlawful for any person to harvest oysters in the James River Seed Area, including the Deep Water Shoal State Replenishment Seed Area, except by hand tong. It shall be unlawful for any person to have a hand scrape or oyster dredge on board a boat that is harvesting or attempting to harvest oysters from public grounds by hand tong. When used in catching of seed oysters, hand tongs shall be operated entirely by hand from the surface of the water and have no external or internal power source. When used in catching clean cull oysters, hand tongs may use power to assist lifting the tongs with a single lifting cable or rope attached at only a single point on one shaft of the tongs.
• B. It shall be unlawful to harvest oysters by any gear from the seaside of the Eastern Shore except by hand or hand tong. It shall be unlawful to harvest oysters that are not submerged at mean low water by any gear other than by hand.
• F. It shall be unlawful for any person or vessel to harvest clean cull oysters with more than one gear type in any single day from the public oyster grounds or unassigned grounds in the waters of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
• A. It shall be unlawful to take, catch, or possess oysters on Saturday and Sunday from the public oyster grounds or unassigned grounds in the waters of the Commonwealth of Virginia for commercial purposes, except that this provision shall not apply to any person harvesting no more than one bushel per day by hand or ordinary tong for household use only during the season when the public oyster grounds or unassigned grounds are legally open for harvest.
• B. It shall be unlawful to do any of the following from the harvest areas described in Table 1 or Table 2 of 4VAC20-720-40 : 1. Harvest or attempt to harvest oysters prior to sunrise or after sunset. 2. For any vessel to leave the dock until one hour before sunrise or return to the dock after sunset if the vessel has an oyster dredge or hand scrape aboard. 3. From October 1 through October 31, for any person to harvest or attempt to harvest clean cull oysters after 11 a.m. 4. Beginning November 1, for any person to harvest or attempt to harvest clean cull oysters after noon with patent tongs, hand scrapes, or oyster dredges. 5. For any person to harvest or attempt to harvest oysters after 2 p.m. with hand tongs.

Official source