Texas Fishing Regulations: Seasons, Limits & Rules

by
TPWD rules reviewed • August 15, 2026

Texas fishing rules without the regulation-book confusion

Start with today’s date, then the exact lake, river, bay or Gulf zone. Texas uses statewide limits, hundreds of waterbody exceptions, protected slots, mandatory reports, fish tags, invasive-species rules and separate state/federal offshore requirements.

Freshwater limits Special lakes Trout zones Live bait Gulf limits Red snapper Gar reporting
What applies today? Freshwater Saltwater
Critical August 2026 distinction

Your new license can be valid before the new fishing rules are

Texas is in an unusual two-week crossover right now. TPWD began selling 2026–27 licenses on August 15, but the 2026–27 fishing regulations themselves begin September 1.

AUG
15
LICENSE SALES BEGIN

New recreational package can be valid now

TPWD says most recreational hunting/fishing packages purchased August 15 or later are valid from the August purchase date through August 31 of the following year.

AUG
15–31
OLD RULE YEAR STILL CONTROLS

Do not activate September regulations early

Through August 31, fish under the regulation year legally in force for the date and waterbody.

SEP
1
2026–27 RULES START

New Outdoor Annual limits take effect

TPWD’s new freshwater, saltwater and waterbody tables are labeled valid September 1, 2026 through August 31, 2027.

Simple rule for August: license validity and regulation validity are two separate questions. Buying a 2026–27 recreational license today does not make a September 1 fish-limit change effective today.
Current now

High-value Texas fishing status on August 15, 2026

OPEN

State-water red snapper

4 / day

Texas state waters: 15-inch minimum, year-round season.

OPEN

Federal private red snapper

2 / day

16-inch minimum. 2026 season opened May 22. TPWD’s current page says the season remains open, with in-season monitoring determining closure.

ON SALE TODAY

2026–27 licenses

Most recreational packages bought today can be valid immediately.

SEPTEMBER 1

New regulation table

Statewide and waterbody rules displayed below are clearly marked where they belong to the 2026–27 regulation year.

Keeper test

Do these six checks before putting a Texas fish in the livewell

1 Date?

Which regulation year is actually in force?

2 Exact water?

Statewide lake, exception water, Community Fishing Lake, bay or federal Gulf?

3 Species?

Identify before applying a limit.

4 Length?

Minimum, maximum or protected slot?

5 Bag?

Count combined species and oversized sublimits.

6 Method/tag?

Gear, reporting and tagging can still make a legal-size fish illegal.

Measurement visual

Texas measures fish in a straight line

STRAIGHT-LINE TOTAL LENGTH
Close the jaw
Lay the fish on its side with the jaw closed.
Maximum tail length
Position the tail to obtain maximum total length.
Measure straight
Snout tip to extreme tail tip — not around the body curve.
Check before possession
A protected-size fish should not enter the cooler or livewell.
Effective September 1, 2026

2026–27 Texas statewide freshwater bag & length limits

These are the statewide defaults. A named waterbody exception overrides the default where TPWD lists one.

Species Daily bag Length Important condition
Largemouth bass 5 combined black bass 14″ minimum Southeast Texas exception uses 12″ for largemouth bass.
Smallmouth bass 5 combined black bass 14″ minimum Waterbody exceptions apply.
Spotted, Guadalupe & Alabama bass 5 combined black bass No statewide minimum Special waters may differ.
Striped + hybrid striped bass 5 combined 18″ minimum Lake Texoma has special rules.
White bass 25 10″ minimum Check border-water exceptions.
Yellow bass No statewide limit None Local rules can still apply.
Channel + blue catfish 25 combined No minimum Only 10 of the combined 25 may be 20 inches or longer.
Flathead catfish 5 18″ minimum Special river/reservoir rules can apply.
Black + white crappie 25 combined 10″ minimum Seasonal reservoir exceptions exist.
Alligator gar 1 No statewide minimum Report harvest within 24 hours except Falcon International Reservoir.
Paddlefish NO HARVEST — Protected from recreational harvest.
Saugeye 5 No minimum Only two may be less than 16″.
Walleye 5 No minimum Only two may be less than 16″.
Rainbow + brown trout 5 combined No statewide minimum Guadalupe River trout zones differ sharply.
Gizzard + threadfin shad No statewide limit None Transporting personally collected shad in containers totaling 30 gallons or more requires the applicable nongame-fish permit.
Sunfish No statewide limit None Includes common bluegill/redear-type sunfish under the statewide table.
Possession: the general freshwater possession limit is twice the statewide daily bag, but Lake Texoma striped bass and Falcon alligator gar have specific exceptions. At several high-bag waters such as Caddo, Livingston, Sam Rayburn and Toledo Bend, possession may remain capped at twice the normal statewide daily bag rather than twice the larger local daily bag.
Special-water examples

Six Texas exceptions that show why statewide tables are not enough

SOUTHEAST TEXAS

Largemouth bass

12″ minimum

Applies to the TPWD Southeast Texas area: Chambers, Galveston, Hardin, Jefferson, Liberty County south of U.S. 90, Newton excluding Toledo Bend and Orange, including qualifying boundary waters.

Statewide largemouth minimum is 14″, so a statewide-only chart gives the wrong local answer here.
LAKE O’ THE PINES

Winter crappie

Keep all caught

December 1 through the last day of February: no minimum length and all crappie caught must be retained.

March through November returns to the 10″ minimum. Daily bag remains 25 combined year-round.
CALAVERAS

Inland red drum

20″ min • no max

Daily bag 3.

Do not apply the coastal 20–28″ red-drum slot to this inland reservoir.
VICTOR BRAUNIG

Inland red drum

20″ min • no max

Daily bag 3.

Another clear example where species alone does not determine the legal length — waterbody matters.
TRINITY RIVER

Gar + catfish

Specified Trinity reaches use special alligator-gar, catfish, shad and striped-bass regulations.

Exact river reach matters, not simply “Trinity River.”
COMMUNITY FISHING LAKE

City-park fishing

5 fish total

Qualifying Community Fishing Lakes use a special combined fish limit and restricted fishing methods.

This is particularly important for urban bank anglers.
Urban angler rule

Community Fishing Lake does not mean ordinary statewide limits

First: is it a Community Fishing Lake?

TPWD generally defines these as qualifying public impoundments of 75 acres or less that are completely inside incorporated city limits, or qualifying municipal, city, county or state-park waters.

Verify the specific water because not every small pond automatically qualifies.

If yes, remember the compact rule

  • 5 fish total daily across regulated fish under the applicable Community Fishing Lake rule.
  • Only 1 may be black bass.
  • Black bass must meet the applicable 14″ minimum.
  • Pole and line only.
  • Maximum 2 poles per angler.
Juglines, trotlines and similar passive gear should not be treated as legal simply because they are allowed somewhere else in Texas. Community Fishing Lakes use their own legal-method framework.
Guadalupe River trout

Three river positions — three different trout answers

Outside special zones 5 trout

Rainbow + brown trout combined. No statewide minimum length under the general rule.

Trout Zone 1

From 800 yards below Canyon Dam release downstream to the east Highway 306 bridge.

  • 12–18″ protected slot
  • Fish 12″ and under or 18″+ may be retained
  • Daily bag 5
  • Only one may be 18″+
  • Artificial lures only
Trout Zone 2

East Highway 306 bridge downstream to the second River Road crossing.

  • 18″ minimum
  • Daily bag 1
  • Artificial lures only

In these special artificial-lure areas, read TPWD’s specific pole-and-line lure definition before using scented or organic bait products.

Season-dependent crappie

Lake O’ the Pines changes its crappie rule in winter

JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
Dec. 1 → end of February No minimum

All crappie caught must be retained. Daily bag: 25 combined.

March → November 10″ minimum

Daily bag: 25 combined.

Same fish, different water

Red drum at the coast is not regulated like red drum at Calaveras

COASTAL SALTWATER

Standard coastal red drum

20–28″

Daily bag: 3.

Oversized fish over 28″ require the proper annual red-drum tag/bonus-tag or qualifying digital harvest report.

VS
CALAVERAS / BRAUNIG

Inland reservoir red drum

20″ minimum

No maximum length.

Daily bag: 3.

This is why the species name alone cannot answer the regulation question.

River-reach rules

Trinity River: save the exact bridge or dam in your fishing plan

Gar zone <48″

In the specified regulated Trinity zone, only alligator gar under 48 inches may be retained.

Night bowfishing Restricted

In the specified gar zone, nighttime archery/crossbow take requires harvest authorization.

Catfish reach 10 combined

Lake Livingston Dam downstream to FM 3278: blue/channel minimum 12″; daily and possession 10 combined, only two may be 24″+.

Striped bass reach 2 / day

Same Lake Livingston Dam → FM 3278 reach: 18″ minimum.

TPWD also flags a fish-consumption advisory for portions of the Trinity River. Harvest legality and consumption safety are separate checks.
Mandatory harvest reporting

Texas alligator gar requires a post-catch action

1

Identify the water

Falcon, Trinity and other special waters use different rules.

2

Check length restriction

Statewide baseline has no minimum, but special-water maximum/restrictions can apply.

3

Harvest legally

Gar taken with lawful archery equipment may not be released afterward.

4

Report within 24 hours

Required for public-water harvest except Falcon International Reservoir.

Spawning closure: TPWD can temporarily close specified areas to alligator-gar fishing when spawning conditions make fish especially vulnerable. Same-day checking matters because an annual PDF cannot predict a temporary emergency closure.
Means & methods

Which Texas fishing device can take which fish?

Method Main legal use Important restriction
Pole & line Standard method for game fish. Snagging/foul-hooking fish is prohibited for retention.
Jugline Fresh water; qualifying nongame fish and blue, channel and flathead catfish. Five hooks or fewer per jugline; tagging/marking rules apply; prohibited on Community Fishing Lakes and other listed waters.
Handfishing Blue, channel and flathead catfish in fresh water. Hands only — no gaff, hook, stick, spear or trap.
Cast net Nongame aquatic life. Maximum 14-foot diameter. In salt water, nongame fish taken by cast net are for bait use.
Seine Nongame fish / qualifying aquatic life. Maximum 20 feet long, mesh no larger than 1/2-inch square, manually operated.
Bow / archery Nongame fish. Fish such as gar taken with lawful archery equipment may not be released.
Freshwater trotline Qualifying nongame fish and catfish. Maximum 50 hooks per line plus gear-tag, marking and location restrictions.
Sail line Salt water only. One per fisherman, attended continuously, maximum 30 hooks, and saltwater-tag requirements apply.
Freshwater device ceiling: Texas prohibits fishing fresh water with more than 100 hooks on all devices combined. That is not 100 hooks per trotline or per angler device.
Bait + invasive species

Do not carry one lake’s water into the next lake

1 Leave the water

Draining requirements apply when leaving or approaching Texas public fresh water.

2 Drain vessel

Livewells, bilges, motors, intake systems and onboard water receptacles matter.

3 Inspect equipment

Remove prohibited invasive plants, mussels and other attached aquatic organisms.

4 Check live bait

Personally caught live bait generally cannot simply travel to an unrelated waterbody in public-water water.

5 Keep bait receipt

Commercial bait has different transport rules when it has not contacted public water.

Texas provides limited same-waterbody/direct-route exceptions, including certain same-day transportation between access points on the same waterbody. That is not permission to move untreated public-water water between unrelated lakes.
Shrimp used as bait: only shrimp native to the Gulf of Mexico may be used as bait in Texas waters, whether fresh, frozen, whole or in pieces.
West Texas bait restriction

Your baitfish choices can change by county

TPWD restricts baitfish use in a group of western Texas counties. Before using personally collected bait in these areas, check whether your species appears on TPWD’s authorized list.

Counties to double-check

Brewster, Crane, Crockett, Culberson, Ector, El Paso, Jeff Davis, Hudspeth, Kinney, Loving, Pecos, Presidio, Reeves, Terrell, Upton, Val Verde, Ward and Winkler.

Examples of permitted baitfish listed by TPWD

Common carp, fathead minnows, gizzard/threadfin shad, goldfish, golden shiners, Mexican tetra, Rio Grande cichlid, silversides and qualifying Lepomis sunfish.

Possession starts sooner than many anglers think

Cooler, livewell, stringer — the fish is now in your possession

Immediate release Not possessed
Livewell Possessed
Cooler Possessed
Stringer / bucket Possessed
A fish inside a prohibited slot or other protected length cannot be held in your livewell while you continue fishing simply because you plan to release it later.

When can you fillet regulated fish?

Texas generally requires regulated fish to remain intact for identification and measurement until finally landed on the mainland, peninsula or barrier island and no longer being transported by boat. A pier or jetty is not the same as final mainland landing.

Certain species such as swordfish, king mackerel and sharks have limited carcass-form exceptions. Check the species-specific rule before removing a head or tail.
Fishing with a guide

A guide’s presence does not automatically add another client bag limit

Texas calculates a guided fishing party’s legal bag using the anglers in the boat who are licensed to fish or otherwise exempt, while excluding the fishing guide and fishing-guide deckhand from the party-bag calculation.

Example concept: if a species has a 3-fish recreational daily bag and the boat has four qualifying clients plus a guide and deckhand, do not calculate the party bag as six anglers × three. The guide/deckhand are excluded from that client-party calculation.
Giving fish away

Transferring regulated fish can require a Wildlife Resource Document

Texas uses the Wildlife Resource Document, commonly called the WRD, for transferring certain lawfully taken wildlife resources protected by bag, possession or tagging requirements.

Who took it?

Preserve the required angler identity information.

What resource?

Identify the species/quantity being transferred.

Document the transfer

Do not assume handing a cooler of regulated fish to someone else removes your documentation obligation.

Offshore jurisdiction

Texas state waters end at 9 nautical miles — but Texas rules do not simply disappear

Federal waters begin beyond Texas’s nine-nautical-mile boundary, yet anglers landing or possessing fish in Texas can still have Texas requirements in addition to applicable federal rules.

9 nautical miles
Texas state waters Shore to nine nautical miles. Texas bag, length, method and species rules directly apply.
Federal waters / EEZ Beyond nine nautical miles. Federal fishery rules apply, and fish possessed or landed in Texas can still trigger Texas requirements. A Texas saltwater license/endorsement is required for the applicable Texas recreational angler landing fish.
Current 2026 red snapper

State water and federal water use different snapper limits

TEXAS STATE WATERS

State-water red snapper

4 / person
  • 15″ minimum
  • Open year-round
  • Texas state waters
  • Circle hook required when using natural bait
2026 FEDERAL SEASON OPEN

Private recreational federal snapper

2 / person
  • 16″ minimum
  • Season opened May 22, 2026
  • Closure determined by in-season monitoring
  • Private recreational anglers in federal waters
Do not add 4 + 2. Red snapper taken in federal waters count toward the Texas state bag. While in federal waters, no more than two federal red snapper per person may be possessed.
Effective September 1, 2026

2026–27 Texas saltwater bag & length limits

Species Daily bag Minimum Maximum / special rule
Greater amberjack 1 38″ Federal seasonal rules also matter offshore.
Gafftopsail catfish No statewide bag 14″ No maximum.
Cobia 1 40″ Check federal rules beyond state waters.
Black drum 5 14″ Normal maximum 30″; one fish over 52″ may be retained per person/day and counts in bag/possession.
Red drum 3 20″ Normal maximum 28″; oversized fish require the applicable Red Drum Tag / Bonus Tag or digital-tag procedure.
Flounder 5 15″ Closed Nov. 1–Dec. 14; bag becomes zero. Possession equals daily bag.
Black grouper 4 24″ Federal seasons/closures can apply.
Gag grouper 2 24″ Federal seasons/closures can apply.
Goliath grouper 0 Catch & release No harvest.
Nassau grouper 0 Catch & release No harvest.
King mackerel 3 27″ No Texas maximum.
Spanish mackerel 15 14″ No Texas maximum.
Blue marlin No Texas bag 131″ Federal highly migratory species rules apply.
White marlin No Texas bag 86″ Federal requirements apply.
Sheepshead 5 15″ No Texas maximum.
Lane snapper No Texas bag 8″ Federal rules may apply offshore.
Red snapper — state 4 15″ State-water season open year-round.
Vermilion snapper No Texas bag 10″ Federal requirements can apply offshore.
Snook 1 24″ Maximum 28″.
Spotted seatrout 3 15″ Maximum 20″. One >28″ per license year may be taken with the applicable tag, with one additional bonus-tag opportunity.
Tarpon 1 85″ No Texas maximum.
Gray triggerfish 20 16″ Federal season can differ offshore.
Tripletail 3 17″ No Texas maximum.
Season closure

Texas flounder bag changes to zero for 44 days

NORMAL OPEN PERIOD

Dec. 15 → Oct. 31

5 / day

15″ minimum.

CLOSED

Nov. 1 → Dec. 14

Bag = 0
POSSESSION

Special flounder rule

Possession limit equals the daily bag rather than the ordinary double-bag framework.

Oversized coastal fish

Check the tag before keeping an oversized redfish or trout

Paper license holder

  1. Confirm you have the correct unused physical tag.
  2. Immediately remove the tag after retaining the qualifying fish.
  3. Fill in all required information.
  4. Cut out the required day/month.
  5. Attach the entire tag by string or wire to the narrowest part of the tail immediately ahead of the tail fin.
VS

Fully digital license holder

  1. Have Texas Hunt & Fish installed and license connected before fishing.
  2. Immediately execute the appropriate digital harvest report.
  3. For oversized red drum / spotted seatrout, no physical document needs to be attached when using the digital-tag system.
  4. Keep the completed digital report as the required fish-tag record.
License-exempt angler? TPWD sells an Exempt Angler Red Drum Tag and Exempt Angler Spotted Seatrout Tag for $3 each when an exempt angler wants to retain a fish requiring one of those tags.
Effective September 1, 2026

Texas shark keeper table

Shark group Daily bag Minimum Rule
Atlantic sharpnose 1 allowable shark total 24″ Part of combined allowable-shark bag.
Blacktip 1 allowable shark total 24″ Part of combined allowable-shark bag.
Bonnethead 1 allowable shark total 24″ Part of combined allowable-shark bag.
Smooth / great / scalloped hammerhead 1 allowable shark total 99″ Very large minimum.
Other allowable sharks 1 allowable shark total 64″ Check exact allowable-species list.
Prohibited sharks 0 Catch & release Identification is critical.
Texas requires a non-offset, non-stainless-steel circle hook when fishing for sharks in state waters.
2026–27 licenses on sale

Texas fishing package quick chooser

Resident freshwater $30

Fishing license + freshwater endorsement.

Senior freshwater $12

Texas resident 65+ born on/after Jan. 1, 1931.

Nonresident freshwater $58
Resident saltwater $35

Includes applicable saltwater endorsement/tags.

Senior saltwater $17
Nonresident saltwater $63
Resident all-water $40
Resident year-from-purchase all-water $47

Special validity period rather than ordinary Aug. 31 expiration.

Senior all-water $22
Nonresident all-water $68
Resident one-day all-water $11
Nonresident one-day all-water $16
Online recreational license purchases carry TPWD’s listed $5 administrative fee.
Common license misunderstanding

Turning 65 does not automatically make a Texas resident license-free

Born before Jan. 1, 1931

TPWD lists qualifying Texas residents in this category among fishing-license exceptions.

65+ born on/after Jan. 1, 1931

TPWD offers reduced-price senior packages rather than a blanket age-65 fishing-license exemption.

Under 17

Texas residents and nonresidents under 17 generally fall under the youth fishing-license exception, but normal bag, length, species and method rules still apply.

Useful no-cost packages

Check these Texas fishing privileges before paying full price

Qualifying Texas active-duty military

Free

TPWD lists a Resident Active Military All-Water Fishing Package for qualifying Texas residents on full-time active military service.

Qualifying disabled veteran

Free

TPWD offers the Disabled Veteran Super Combo Hunting and All-Water Fishing Package to veterans meeting the listed service-connected disability criteria.

Effective August 3, 2026

Texas changed license-purchase identity verification

Retail purchase

Anglers age 17+ should be prepared to appear with qualifying identification under TPWD’s updated validation requirements.

Online purchase

Each license holder must pass TPWD’s independent ID-validation process.

Temporary / limited-term ID

Additional supporting documentation can be required. Check TPWD’s current ID-validation instructions before purchase.

Texas–Oklahoma shortcut

Lake Texoma has a separate $12 license

Fee $12
Coverage TX + OK

Lake Texoma waters only.

Validity To Dec. 31

Valid until December 31 following issuance.

The Lake Texoma License allows fishing in Texas and Oklahoma waters of Lake Texoma without additional Texas/Oklahoma fishing licenses. It is not valid as a statewide Texas fishing license.

License-free opportunities

Free Fishing Day is over — State Park free fishing continues

2026 DATE PASSED

Free Fishing Day

June 6, 2026

Texas’s annual statewide license-free Free Fishing Day has already passed for 2026.

YEAR-ROUND PROGRAM

Free Fishing in State Parks

TPWD allows license-free fishing in qualifying Texas State Park settings when fishing on state-park property or waters completely enclosed by a state park.

Park entrance fees can still apply, and normal fish bag, length and method restrictions remain in force.

Best offline setup

Texas uses two official apps for two different fishing jobs

Outdoor Annual

  • Statewide bag/length limits
  • Waterbody-specific exceptions
  • Nearby fishing locations
  • Fish identification
  • License information
  • Core downloaded regulation information can work offline

Texas Hunt & Fish

  • Connect/display licenses
  • Alligator gar harvest reporting
  • Digital red-drum tagging
  • Digital spotted-seatrout tagging
  • Harvest history
  • Offline digital-tag preparation after account connection
Download, sign in and connect the license before leaving cell coverage. Do not make the boat ramp your first app login.
Video QA

Why this page does not contain a fabricated YouTube schema

TPWD provides useful digital-license, tagging and Outdoor Annual guidance, but during this review an exact title-relevant official YouTube video with independently verified video ID, publication date and complete thumbnail metadata was not confirmed.

Rather than invent an upload date merely to create a VideoObject, this article keeps the official TPWD app/tagging instructions directly on the page. A future verified official video can be embedded with matching schema when its metadata is confirmed.
Second safety check

Legal to keep does not automatically mean recommended to eat

Texas fish-consumption bans and advisories are waterbody- and species-specific. They answer a health question, while fishing regulations answer a harvest-law question.

1. Match exact water

Do not use a county-wide guess.

2. Match exact species

Catfish, gar and bass can have different advice from the same water.

3. Check eater category

Advice can differ for adults, children, pregnancy and nursing.

Save this before launch

Texas regulation pre-trip checklist

  • Confirm today’s regulation year. Aug. 15–31, 2026 anglers must not apply Sep. 1 rules early.
  • Search the exact waterbody. Do not rely only on the statewide table.
  • Identify target species. Save the daily bag, possession and length rule.
  • Check seasonal exceptions. Crappie, flounder and federal species can change with the calendar.
  • Carry a ruler. Texas uses detailed minimum, maximum and protected-slot rules.
  • Check license + endorsement. Freshwater, saltwater and all-water privileges differ.
  • Check physical/digital tags. Do this before targeting oversized red drum or spotted seatrout.
  • Prepare gar reporting. Have Texas Hunt & Fish or the TPWD online reporting route ready.
  • Check legal method. Trotline, jugline, bowfishing, handfishing and Community Fishing Lake rules differ.
  • Drain water. Livewell, bilge, motor and bait containers can trigger invasive-species rules.
  • Do not fillet too early. Keep regulated fish identifiable until legal final landing.
  • Check consumption advisory. Especially when keeping fish for the table.
Avoid these citations

Fifteen Texas regulation mistakes worth remembering

Using Sep. 1 rules on Aug. 20

New regulation year has not started.

Thinking an Aug. 15 license is not valid until Sep. 1

Most recreational new-year packages can be valid from purchase.

Using 14″ largemouth minimum everywhere

Southeast Texas has a 12″ rule.

Using coastal redfish slot at Calaveras

Inland red drum there have a different maximum-length rule.

Releasing winter Lake O’ the Pines crappie

Dec.–Feb rule requires all caught crappie to be retained.

Using bait in Guadalupe trout zones

Special sections require artificial lures.

Adding state + federal red snapper bags

Federal fish count toward the Texas state bag.

Using 24″ for Texas king mackerel

2026–27 TPWD minimum is 27″.

Missing the 14″ Spanish mackerel minimum

TPWD lists 14″ beginning Sep. 1, 2026.

Keeping flounder in November

Nov. 1–Dec. 14 bag is zero.

Missing alligator-gar report

Most public-water harvest must be reported within 24 hours.

Moving live bait water between lakes

Texas invasive-species rules restrict the practice.

Using imported shrimp as bait

Texas limits bait shrimp to Gulf-native shrimp.

Holding a slot fish in the livewell

Livewell normally means possession.

Using 100 hooks per device

Freshwater ceiling is 100 across all devices combined.

When the answer is still unclear

Call TPWD with the information that changes the rule

TPWD information 512-389-4800
TPWD toll-free 800-792-1112
Operation Game Thief 800-792-GAME

Wildlife violation reporting.

Phone script:
“I’m fishing [exact lake / river reach / bay] on [exact date] for [species] using [method]. Can you confirm which regulation year applies, the daily and possession limits, legal length, waterbody exception, and whether a current closure, tag or reporting rule applies?”
Official final checks

The answers are above — use these TPWD pages only for the live final check

TPWD Fishing Regulations Main regulation hub. Freshwater limits 2026–27 statewide table. Waterbody exceptions Search the exact lake or river. Legal fishing devices Poles, juglines, trotlines, nets and more. General fishing rules Bait, possession, landing and transport. Guadalupe River rules Trout Zone 1 and Zone 2. Lake O’ the Pines Winter crappie regulation. Calaveras Reservoir Inland red-drum exception. Victor Braunig Inland red-drum exception. Trinity River Gar, catfish and striped-bass exceptions. Southeast Texas 12-inch largemouth minimum. Saltwater limits Species-by-species TPWD table. Mackerel limits King 27″, Spanish 14″. Red snapper status State and federal 2026 season. Fishing license prices Resident, senior, nonresident and Texoma. License validity FAQ Aug. 15 purchase-date rule. ID & purchase requirements Updated August 3, 2026 rules. Digital tagging Oversized fish harvest reporting. Paper fish tags Red drum and spotted seatrout instructions. Free fishing opportunities Free Fishing Day and State Park program. Outdoor Annual app Offline rules and waterbody lookups. Fish consumption advisories Waterbody/species health guidance.
Texas fishing FAQ

Questions anglers are most likely to get wrong

Are the 2026–27 Texas fishing regulations effective on August 15?

No. TPWD’s 2026–27 fishing regulations are labeled effective September 1, 2026 through August 31, 2027. August 15 is the new-license sale date, not the new fishing-regulation effective date.

Is a 2026–27 recreational fishing license bought August 15 valid immediately?

TPWD states that most recreational hunting and fishing license packages purchased August 15 or later are valid from the date of purchase in August through August 31 of the following year. This does not make September 1 fishing regulations effective early.

What is the 2026–27 Texas largemouth bass limit?

The statewide baseline is five black bass in combination with a 14-inch minimum for largemouth bass. Special-water rules apply, including a 12-inch minimum for largemouth bass in the defined Southeast Texas area.

What is the statewide Texas crappie limit?

The 2026–27 statewide baseline is 25 black and white crappie combined with a 10-inch minimum. Some waters differ. Lake O’ the Pines, for example, has a winter period when there is no minimum and all crappie caught must be retained.

What is the current 2026 Texas red snapper limit?

In Texas state waters the recreational limit is four red snapper per person per day with a 15-inch minimum and the state-water season is open year-round. The 2026 private recreational federal season opened May 22 with a two-fish daily bag and 16-inch minimum. TPWD’s current page says in-season monitoring will determine the federal closure date.

What is the Texas king mackerel minimum for 2026–27?

TPWD lists a 27-inch minimum with a daily bag of three. Spanish mackerel have a 14-inch minimum and a daily bag of 15.

When is Texas flounder harvest closed?

The Texas recreational flounder fishery is closed November 1 through December 14, when the bag limit is zero.

Do I have to report an alligator gar harvest in Texas?

Yes, for alligator gar harvested from Texas public waters other than Falcon International Reservoir. The harvest must be reported to TPWD within 24 hours through Texas Hunt & Fish or the online reporting system.

Can I fish an urban Community Fishing Lake with a jugline?

Qualifying Community Fishing Lakes use a pole-and-line-only rule and anglers may use no more than two poles. Check the exact water before fishing because not every small urban lake qualifies as a Community Fishing Lake.

Can I use bait in the Guadalupe River trout special zones?

TPWD requires artificial lures in Trout Zones 1 and 2. Zone 1 uses a 12-to-18-inch protected slot with a five-trout bag and only one fish 18 inches or longer. Zone 2 has an 18-inch minimum and one-trout daily bag.

Is coastal red drum regulated the same as red drum at Calaveras Reservoir?

No. The standard coastal red-drum slot is 20 to 28 inches with a daily bag of three and special rules for oversized fish. At Calaveras and Victor Braunig reservoirs TPWD lists a 20-inch minimum, no maximum length and a daily bag of three.

Do all Texas residents age 65 and older fish without a license?

No. Texas residents age 65 or older who were born on or after January 1, 1931 can purchase reduced-price senior fishing packages. TPWD separately lists residents born before January 1, 1931 among fishing-license exceptions.

Texas keeper formula

Date → exact water → species → length → bag → method/tag

That sequence is safer than memorizing one Texas limit. Statewide tables are only the baseline; reservoir exceptions, river zones, Community Fishing Lakes, federal-water seasons, fish tags and temporary closures can change the answer.

Research reviewed . Current Gulf fishery status and emergency regulations should be checked again on the day of fishing.

Check date first Freshwater limits Saltwater limits

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Select a state from the panel on the left, or use the search bar above.
Select a state from the left panel to see all license costs.
Tip: Click any state on the left to see its costs instantly. Select "Show All" to see every license type at once.
Select a state from the left, then enter your purchase date.
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Select a state on the left + fill in the form + click the button to see your result here.

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