The Matagorda Island WMA consists of 56,688 acres of offshore barrier island and bayside marshes which is operated as a wildlife management area, jointly owned by the Texas General Land Office and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and is cooperatively managed as the Matagorda Island National Wildlife Refuge and State Natural Area. Texas Parks and Wildlife manages the Area for public use and the Fish and Wildlife Service has the main responsibility for managing the wildlife and habitat on the island.

The island is 38 miles long and varies in width from less than a mile to about four and a half miles. The island supports a wide variety of migratory birds, some 19 state or federally listed threatened or endangered species, a large herd of white-tailed deer, alligators and other wildlife. Activities include salt-water fishing, hunting (in season), birding, picnicking and historical interpretation. A lighthouse dating from 1852 still stands at the north end of the island. Matagorda Island is known for its seclusion and untouched natural beauty.