A bay that fed a state
Apalachicola sits where the Apalachicola River spreads into its bay, with Scipio Creek running along the working side of town. The city dates itself to 1831 and calls itself one of the oldest port cities in Florida. The old brick waterfront still faces the docks, and the seafood houses on Water Street are where the day's catch comes in.
Oysters made the name. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Apalachicola at its peak supplied about 90 percent of Florida's commercial oyster landings and roughly 10 percent of the wild oysters sold in the whole country. The FWC calls it an iconic, name brand fishery, and for generations it set the rhythm of Franklin County.
Then the reefs gave out. The fishery collapsed in 2013, and the FWC issued 20 executive orders trying to ease pressure before closing the bay outright in 2020. A five year closure followed from 2021 while the state rebuilt reefs, with more than $38 million invested since 2019. By the FWC's own account, the restored reefs are the only spots in the bay with enough oysters to support any harvest at all.
On January 1, 2026 the bay opened for the first time since 2020, for two months. Commercial endorsement holders shared roughly 4,700 bags, and local reporting put the final haul at more than 4,200. It was a small season by old standards, and a big day for the town.
The fall 2026 season, in plain terms
The second season opened October 1, 2026 and runs to February 28, 2027. Only three restored reefs met the FWC's bar of 400 bags of legal oysters per acre: Cat Point, Cat Point Spur and Peanut Ridge. East Hole is closed. The commercial limit dropped from 31 bags per harvester to 19, and one oysterman told WJHG he expected to catch his share in two days.
Recreational harvest is tighter still. The FWC issued 127 Apalachicola Bay Recreational Opportunity permits by lottery, open only to Florida residents with a saltwater license, and each holder gets one tagged bag for the season. A bag is two 5 gallon buckets or 60 pounds. Applications for that lottery closed July 31, so for most visitors this year the move is to buy from a Water Street dock and let the permit holders do the tonging.
