SlotGaugeCheck a catchEastern Oyster regulations in New Jersey
Mollusks · Shellfish & crabs · 2026 season
Eastern Oyster size limit, season and daily limit
| Where | Season | Size limit | Daily limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| NJ oyster beds (Great Bay, Delaware Bay, Mullica, Great Egg Harbor, Tuckahoe rivers) | Open year-round | Bed-specific size limits — call Nacote Creek (609) 748-2020 or Delaware Bay shellfish office | Part of the 150-shellfish aggregate per day; bed-specific rules apply |
Notes
- Oysters count toward your 150-shellfish daily aggregate.
- Oyster beds have their own seasons and size limits not printed in the digest — call the Nacote Creek or Delaware Bay shellfish office before harvesting.
Exact NJDEP Fish & Wildlife wording
- Season
- See shellfish office for bed-specific seasons
- Size
- See shellfish office for bed-specific size limits
- Limit
- Counts toward 150 shellfish aggregate per day
- NJ oyster beds (Great Bay, Delaware Bay, Mullica, Great Egg Harbor, Tuckahoe rivers) — as printed
- “Specific seasons, regulations and size limits exist for oyster beds in Great Bay, Delaware Bay, plus the Mullica, Great Egg Harbor and Tuckahoe rivers. Check with the nearest shellfish office (Nacote Creek or Delaware Bay) for these detailed regulations. Shells taken in the process of harvesting oysters must be culled from the live oysters and returned immediately to the area from where they were taken.”
Source: NJDEP Fish & Wildlife, captured 2026-10-04 (2026 season).
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About the eastern oyster
Species of bivalve
The eastern oyster —also called the Atlantic oyster, American oyster, or East Coast oyster—is a species of true oyster native to eastern North and South America. Other names in local or culinary use include the Wellfleet oyster, Virginia oyster, Malpeque oyster, Blue Point oyster, Chesapeake Bay oyster, and Apalachicola oyster. C. virginica ranges from northern New Brunswick south through parts of the West Indies to Venezuela. It is farmed in all of the Maritime provinces of Canada and all Eastern Seaboard and Gulf states of the United States, as well as Puget Sound, Washington, where it is known as the Totten Inlet Virginica. It was introduced to the Hawaiian Islands in the 19th century and is common in Pearl Harbor.
Read more about Eastern oyster on Wikipedia →
Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Regulations on this page come from NJDEP Fish & Wildlife, not Wikipedia.
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Frequently asked
What is the size limit for Eastern Oyster in New Jersey?
Bed-specific size limits — call Nacote Creek (609) 748-2020 or Delaware Bay shellfish office in New Jersey state waters.
How many Eastern Oyster can you keep per day in New Jersey?
Part of the 150-shellfish aggregate per day; bed-specific rules apply.
When is Eastern Oyster season in New Jersey?
Open year-round.
Is my Eastern Oyster a keeper today?
Eastern Oyster has no size limit today, with a daily limit of 150.