Calhoun County, on Lavaca Bay

Port Lavaca, Texas: the bay town that out shipped the country

In 1928 this small port on Lavaca Bay led the nation in seafood shipped, mostly shrimp. Its old highway causeway is now a fishing pier, and weekenders once rode the train in for oyster roasts. Here is the story, the calendar and a shrimp skillet for a weeknight.

From cattle wharf to shrimp capital

Port Lavaca began in the early 1840s, after the Comanche raid of 1840 burned nearby Linnville and its residents moved to a bluff on the west shore of Lavaca Bay. The Handbook of Texas says the town was named La Vaca, the cow, in 1841, and that during the Republic it was the busiest port on Matagorda and Lavaca bays, shipping hides, tallow, cotton, pecans and mustang grape wine.

Indianola, down the bay, took most of that trade for a generation. After the 1886 hurricane wiped Indianola out, Lavaca became the county seat again and slowly grew, and around then people started calling it Port Lavaca. Cattle never came back as the main cargo. Seafood did.

Around the turn of the century trains were bringing weekend crowds from Houston, San Antonio, Cuero and Victoria to bay pavilions and oyster roasts. By 1910 the town had an oyster knife factory and an ice plant. Shrimp exports grew through the 1920s, and in 1928 Port Lavaca led the nation in the amount of seafood shipped. During the Depression a city owned quick freezing plant built for vegetables turned out to be ideal for seafood.

Industry arrived after the late 1940s, with Alcoa and other plants across the bay at Point Comfort, but the waterfront kept its fishing habits. Port Lavaca still calls itself a Certified Scenic City, and its lighthouse park sits at the foot of the pier.

A causeway that became a pier

A causeway from Port Lavaca to Point Comfort was finished in the early 1930s. Hurricane Carla badly damaged it in 1961, and part of the old roadway was turned into a fishing pier more than 3,000 feet long, the Port Lavaca State Fishing Pier. The city has renovated the wooden pier with help from state coastal grants.

At the foot of the pier is Lighthouse Beach, with a man made sand beach and a nature walk through the wetlands. The park's Half Moon Reef Lighthouse was first built on Matagorda Island in 1858 and looks more like a Chesapeake Bay light than a Texas one. In 1991 it was one of only three lighthouses left standing in Texas.

What is in season

A Lavaca Bay seafood calendar

These are state fishery dates from Texas Parks and Wildlife plus the federal shrimp pause posted by NOAA. Check them each season, since the agencies adjust them.

Oystering allowed only on reefs the state lists as openWinter into spring Official dates for Oystering allowed only on reefs the state lists as open (opens in a new tab)In season now
Flounder must go back in the waterSix weeks from November 1In season now
Texas Mid Coast Birding Festival in Port LavacaAprilIn season now
Texas stops Gulf trawling so brown shrimp can size upMid May Official dates for Texas stops Gulf trawling so brown shrimp can size up (opens in a new tab)In season now
Gulf shrimp boats go back to work when Texas reopensMid July Official dates for Gulf shrimp boats go back to work when Texas reopens (opens in a new tab)In season now
Carancahua Bay and Powderhorn Lake stay closed to oyster harvestAll yearIn season now

Festivals and events

Port Lavaca weekends

The city's own spring lineup is about art and birds rather than food, but it is a fine excuse to eat your way along the bay. These are the dates the city posted for 2026. Dates update every month: confirmed means the organizers posted it, expected means it follows the usual pattern.

Texas Mid Coast Birding Festival

Early to mid April, four days

Next Expected April 8 to 11, 2027

Four days built around spring migration on the middle Texas coast, hosted in Port Lavaca.

Official site Add to Google Calendar

Port Lavaca Art Walk

Early March, one Saturday

Next Expected Saturday, March 6, 2027

Not a food event, but a good afternoon downtown before dinner on the water.

Official site Add to Google Calendar

The next twelve months in Port Lavaca

Nov2026Nothing on the calendar
DecNothing on the calendar
Jan2027Nothing on the calendar
FebNothing on the calendar
Mar6 March: Port Lavaca Art Walk, expected
Apr8 April: Texas Mid Coast Birding Festival, expected
MayNothing on the calendar
JunNothing on the calendar
JulNothing on the calendar
AugNothing on the calendar
SepNothing on the calendar
OctNothing on the calendar

Eat and shop local

Where to eat and what to bring home from Port Lavaca

The places we would send a friend: kitchens locals swear by and shops worth the stop. Every one was open when we checked in October 2026. Hours run seasonal on the coast, so call ahead.

Port Lavaca is a working bay town with few tourist restaurants or shops. For more places to eat, see our Port O'Connor guide. Several places here have no website of their own, so their links point to the best listing we found.

Where to eat 3 picks, 2 on the water

LaVaca BBQ
Texas barbecue
Kelli Nevarez's smokehouse made Texas Monthly's Top 50 barbecue list. Get the brisket with its peppery bark, and the turkey; open late week only, Wednesday through Sunday at lunch.
532 N Virginia Stlavacabbq.com for LaVaca BBQ (opens in a new tab)
Indianola Fishing Marina
Dockside restaurant and barWater view
Bait shop, pier and restaurant at the mouth of Powderhorn Bayou, featured in Texas Monthly's Gulf Coast seafood crawl. Order the cornmeal-battered shrimp basket or fish tacos, and look for the Saturday shrimp boil or catfish night.
8 Bell St, Indianola, about 15 minutes south of townindianolafishingmarina.com for Indianola Fishing Marina (opens in a new tab)
Scully's Sports Bar & Grill
Bayside sports grillWater view
A family-friendly grill with a deck over Lavaca Bay. Order the fried fish and shrimp, the mahi tacos or the jumbo wings; open Tuesday through Saturday.
802 Fulton St, on the bayscullysportlavacatx.com for Scully's Sports Bar & Grill (opens in a new tab)

Souvenirs and local shops 3 picks

Miller's Seafood
Seafood market
Sells fish, shrimp, oysters and crab meat brought in by its own boats. Pick up fresh Gulf shrimp to boil back at the rental.
Port Lavacakoa.com for Miller's Seafood (opens in a new tab)
Big Bear Shrimp & Seafood
Seafood and bait market
A seafood market on the highway that serves both cooks and anglers. Good for a cooler of local shrimp on the way out of town; the business is listed for sale, so call ahead.
2241 TX-35 Nlonelyplanet.com for Big Bear Shrimp & Seafood (opens in a new tab)
Indianola Fishing Marina bait shop
Bait and tackle
Live bait, tackle and drinks before a session on the lighted pier or a kayak rental on Powderhorn Bayou.
8 Bell St, Indianolaindianolafishingmarina.com for Indianola Fishing Marina bait shop (opens in a new tab)

From the lineup

Three bottles for a Lavaca Bay kitchen

A Latin rub for bay shrimp, a hot sauce for oysters and a mild all rounder for whatever comes off the pier.

Cold Water

Medium, 3.5 oz, $9

Ancho, cumin, Mexican oregano and dried lime. Medium heat that suits shrimp, chicken and firm white fish.

Grand Isle Hook Set Sauce

Some Heat, 8 fl oz, $12

A Louisiana style bottle built on red jalapeno and roasted pepper. Splash it on boiled shrimp or a dozen on the half shell.

RiverKingz All Purpose Rub

Mild, 4 oz, $9

Mostly garlic, very little heat and about a third the salt of grocery store blends. A safe shake for a pier caught drum.

Cook it at home

Bay shrimp and rice skillet with Cold Water

A one pan supper for a pound of bay shrimp. Toast the rice in the rub so the flavor goes all the way through, and add the shrimp only at the end so they stay tender.

What you need

1 lb bay shrimp, shells off
1 cup long grain white rice
1 small onion and 1 bell pepper, diced
2 cups chicken or shrimp stock
Cold Water
Hook Set Sauce, limes and cilantro

How it goes

Toss the shrimp with a light shake of Cold Water and set them aside in the fridge.
Soften the onion and pepper in a little oil in a deep skillet. Stir in the rice and 2 tsp Cold Water and toast for 2 minutes.
Pour in the stock, bring it to a boil, cover and cook on low for 15 minutes.
Lay the shrimp over the rice, cover again and cook 5 to 6 minutes, until every shrimp has curled and turned pink.
Rest 5 minutes off the heat, fluff, and finish with lime, cilantro and a few dashes of Hook Set Sauce.

Worth knowing. Shell on shrimp make the best stock. Simmer the shells in water for 20 minutes while you chop.

Another one from our kitchen: Grand Isle Shrimp and White Rice

Questions

Questions about Port Lavaca

Why is Port Lavaca known for seafood?

Shrimp exports grew through the 1920s, and the Handbook of Texas says that in 1928 Port Lavaca led the nation in the amount of seafood shipped. A city freezing plant built in the Depression helped the trade.

What is the Port Lavaca fishing pier?

Part of the old causeway to Point Comfort. After Hurricane Carla damaged the road in 1961, a stretch of it was turned into the Port Lavaca State Fishing Pier, which runs more than 3,000 feet into Lavaca Bay.

Where is the Half Moon Reef Lighthouse?

In the park at Lighthouse Beach, at the foot of the fishing pier. It was first built on Matagorda Island in 1858 and later moved to Port Lavaca.

Can you gather oysters near Port Lavaca?

Only between November and April, and only on reefs the state has opened. Two Calhoun County waters, Carancahua Bay and Powderhorn Lake, are off limits for oysters entirely.

Do you ship to Port Lavaca?

Yes. We ship anywhere in the U.S. Orders go out within two business days, and shipping is free over $45.

Run a shop, market or kitchen in Port Lavaca? Carry JollyGringo'z by the case. Tell us about the shop and the price sheet, the case packs and a sample bottle come straight back.

Get the price sheet

Keep going

More Texas towns near Port Lavaca

Calhoun County

Port O'Connor, Texas

Bay, jetty and offshore fishing from one small harbor town

Matagorda County

Matagorda, Texas

Where the Colorado River meets the Gulf, flounder, redfish and bay oysters

Aransas County

Rockport, Texas

Fulton Oysterfest, SeaFair crab races and Aransas Bay oysters

Brazoria County

Surfside Beach, Texas

Houston's nearby beach, the Freeport shrimp fleet and the Fishin' Fiesta

All 17 Texas town guides

Before you go

Texas Parks and Wildlife: fishingSeasons, bag limits and where the public water is
Texas fishing licensesWhat you need before you wet a line, resident or not
Travel TexasThe state tourism office, for rooms and what else is on
NOAA tide predictionsThe tide table for the nearest station, which decides most fishing mornings

The organizers

Texas Mid Coast Birding FestivalEarly to mid April, four days
Port Lavaca Art WalkEarly March, one Saturday

Where our facts come from

We checked every date and title on this page against these sources in October 2026. Festival dates move, so confirm with the organizers before you travel.

Ships anywhere in the U.S.

Cook like Port Lavaca, wherever you are

Ten small batch rubs and sauces, low on salt so you can season heavy. Any four, 15% off, and free shipping over $45.

Shop the lineup All the recipes