Sabine River downstream of Toledo Bend Dam (Southeast TX)

Fishing in Texas State Parks

A fishing license and endorsement are not required if fishing on State Park property or in waters completely enclosed by a State Park.

On man-made structures (docks, piers, jetties, etc.) and all bodies of water, including stream segments, within state parks, fishing is by pole-and-line only, with each person limited to two poles. All other fishing regulations, such as length and bag limits, remain in effect.

Waste of Fish

It is unlawful to leave edible fish or bait fish taken from the public waters of the state to die without the intent to retain the fish for consumption or bait.

Possession of Fish taken from Public Water

• Any fish caught must be taken by legal means and methods. Fish caught and immediately released are not considered to be in your possession. Any fish not immediately released that are retained by using any type of holding device such as stringer, cooler, livewell, or bucket are considered in your possession and must adhere to established protected length and bag limits. While fishing, it is illegal to be in possession of more fish than the daily bag limit or fish that are within a protected length limit.
• In order to verify length and species, a fish caught may not have the head or tail removed and may not be filleted until an angler finally lands the catch on the mainland, a peninsula, or barrier island not including jetties or piers and does not transport the catch by boat.
• Any fish taken from public water and landed by boat or person in Texas must adhere to the protected length limits and daily bag and possession limits established for those fish in Texas regardless of the state or country in which they were caught.
• The bag limit for a guided fishing party is equal to the total number of persons in the boat licensed to fish or otherwise exempt from holding a license minus each fishing guide and fishing guide deckhand multiplied by the bag limit for each species harvested.
• It is unlawful to transport live, nongame fishes taken from the Red River below Lake Texoma downstream to the Arkansas border, Big Cypress Bayou downstream of Ferrell's Bridge Dam on Lake O' the Pines (including the Texas waters of Caddo Lake), or the Sulphur River downstream of the Lake Wright Patman dam. Nongame fishes collected from the above waters may be used as live bait on these water bodies only.

Definitions

Artificial Lure

Any lure (including flies) with hook or hooks attached that is man-made and is used as a bait while fishing

Bait

Something used to lure any wildlife resource. It is unlawful to use game fish or any part thereof as bait.

Bait Fish Exceptions: In Brewster, Crane, Crockett, Culberson, Ector, El Paso, Jeff Davis, Hudspeth, Kinney, Loving, Pecos, Presidio, Reeves, Terrell, Upton, Val Verde, Ward, and Winkler counties, the only fishes that may be used or possessed for bait while fishing are common carp, fathead minnows, gizzard and threadfin shad, golden shiners, goldfish, Mexican tetra, Rio Grande cichlid, silversides (Atherinidae family) and sunfish (Lepomis).

Possession Limit

The maximum number of fish a person may possess before returning to their residence. Possession limit is twice the daily bag on game and nongame fish, unless noted otherwise, and does not apply to fish in the possession of or stored by a person at their residence.

Game Fish

Includes hybrids or subspecies of fish on this list:

• Bass: Alabalma, Guadalupe, largemouth, smallmouth, spotted, striped, white, yellow
• Catfish: blue, channel, flathead
• Crappie: black, white
• Pickerel
• Red drum
• Sauger
• Trout: brown, rainbow
• Walleye

Nongame Fish

All species not listed as game fish above except endangered and threatened fish which are defined and regulated under separate rules.

Gear Tag

A tag constructed of material as durable as the device to which it is attached. The gear tag must be legible, contain the name and address of the person using the device and the date the device was set out .Date is not required for saltwater trotlines or crab traps fished under a commercial license. For juglines and freshwater trotlines, properly-marked buoys or floats qualify as valid gear tags.

Game Fish

Game fish may be taken only by pole and line (which includes rod and reel), except as otherwise provided below.

A person may fish with multiple poles or other devices, except as provided in this guide. In fresh water, it is unlawful to fish with more than 100 hooks on all devices combined

In fresh water, it is unlawful to take fish with a hand operated device held underwater except that a spear or spear gun may be used to take NONGAME fish.

Pole and Line

A line with hook, attached to a pole. Includes rod and reel.

• May be used to take GAME AND NONGAME fish.
• It is unlawful to use a pole and line to take or attempt to take fish by foul-hooking, snagging, or jerking. A fish is foul-hooked when caught by a hook in an area other than the fish's mouth.
• Game and nongame fish may be taken by pole and line, except in a designated section of the Guadalupe River in Comal County.
• Pole and line is the only lawful method for taking game fish and nongame fish from Community Fishing Lakes (see definition, pg. 28); includes impoundments lying totally within the boundaries of a state park), sections of rivers lying totally within boundaries of a state park, the North Concho River from O.C. Fisher dam to the Bell Street dam , the South Concho River from Lone Wolf dam to Bell Street dam, Wheeler Branch Reservoir, Lake Pflugerville, and Canyon Lake Project #6

Cast Net

A net that can be hand-thrown over an area.

• Legal only for taking NONGAME fish and other aquatic animal life (including crabs, crayfish, and shrimp).
• May not be greater than 14 feet in diameter.

Dip Net

A mesh bag suspended from a frame attached to a handle.

• Legal only for taking NONGAME fish and other aquatic animal life (including crabs, crayfish, and shrimp).
• May be used to aid in the landing of fish caught by other legal devices.

Gaff

Any hand-held pole with a hook attached directly to the pole.

• May only be used to aid in the landing of fish caught by other legal devices, means, or methods.
• Fish landed with a gaff MAY NOT be below the minimum, above the maximum, or within a protected length limit.

Gig

Any hand-held shaft with single or multiple points, barbed or barbless.

• May be used to take NONGAME fish only.

Handfishing

Fishing by the use of HANDS ONLY. The use of ANY other fishing device while handfishing (including but not limited to gaff, pole hook, trap, spear or stick) is UNLAWFUL.

• No person may intentionally place a trap (including such devices as boxes, barrels or pipes) in public fresh water for the purpose of taking catfish by handfishing.
• May be used to take channel, blue, and flathead catfish in fresh water only.

Jugline

For use in FRESH WATER only. A fishing line with five or less hooks tied to a free-floating device.

• May be used to take NONGAME fish, channel catfish, blue catfish, and flathead catfish only.
• Tagging and Marking Requirements:
  • Must be used with a valid GEAR TAG (see "Definitions" dropdown in "General Fishing Rules for Fresh Waters") attached within 6 inches of the free-floating device; gear tag is valid for 10 days after the date set out and must include the number of the permit to sell nongame fish taken from fresh water, if applicable. Properly-marked buoys or floats qualify as valid gear tags.
  • For non-commercial purposes, a jugline must be marked with a free-floating device of any color other than orange.
  • For commercial purposes, a jugline must be marked with an orange, free-floating device.

Lawful Archery Equipment

Includes longbow, recurved bow, compound bow, and crossbow.

• May be used to take NONGAME fish only.
• Any fish that is edible or can be used for bait (includes all gar species, common carp, and buffalo) may not be released back into the water after being taken with lawful archery equipment.
• State regulations permit bow fishing in most public waters. Additionally, bow fishers are advised to check with local authorities that may have ordinances restricting use of archery equipment.
• A person bow fishing on a navigable stream in Dimmit, Edwards, Frio, Kenedy, Llano, Maverick, Real, Uvalde, or Zavala counties may not possess an arrow equipped with fletching of any kind, an unbarbed arrow, or a bow that is not equipped with a reel and line.

Minnow Trap

• Legal only for taking NONGAME fish and other aquatic animal life (including crayfish and shrimp).
• Trap may not exceed 24 inches in length. The throat may not exceed 1 inch by 3 inches.
• GEAR TAG (see "Definitions" dropdown in "General Fishing Rules for Fresh Waters") valid for only 10 days must be visibly attached.

Seine

A section of non-metallic mesh webbing, with the top edge buoyed upwards by a floatline and the bottom edge weighted. Includes a push net.

• Legal only for taking NONGAME fish and other aquatic animal life (including crabs, crayfish, and shrimp).
• May not be longer than 20 feet.
• May not have mesh exceeding ½-inch square.
• Must be manually operated.

Shad Trawl

For use in FRESH WATER only. A bag-shaped net which is dragged along the bottom or through the water to catch aquatic life.

• Legal only for taking NONGAME fish and other aquatic animal life (including crayfish and shrimp).
• May not be longer than 6 feet or with a mouth larger than 36 inches in diameter.
• May be equipped with a funnel or throat and must be towed by boat or hand.

Spear

Any shaft with single or multiple points, barbed or barbless, which may be propelled by any means, but does not include arrows. May be used to take NONGAME fish only.

Spear Gun

Any hand operated device designed and used for propelling a spear, but does not include the crossbow. May be used to take NONGAME fish only, not a legal means to take fish in a community fishing lake.

Throwline

For use in FRESH WATER only. A fishing line with five or less hooks and with one end attached to a permanent fixture. Components of a throwline may also include swivels, snaps, rubber, and rigid support structures.

• May be used to take NONGAME fish, channel catfish, blue catfish, and flathead catfish only.
• Must be used with a valid gear tag attached. Gear tag is valid for 10 days after the date set out.

Trotline in Fresh Water

A non-metallic main fishing line with more than five hooks attached and with each end attached to a fixture.

• Nongame fish, channel catfish, blue catfish, and flathead catfish may be taken by trotline.
• Red drum caught on a trotline may not be retained or possessed.
• General Construction and Design Restrictions: Trotlines may not be used with:
  • a mainline length exceeding 600 feet;
  • hooks spaced less than 3 horizontal feet apart;
  • metallic stakes;
  • or the main fishing line and attached hooks and stagings placed above the water's surface.
• Tag Requirements: Must be used with a valid GEAR TAG (see "Definitions" dropdown in "General Fishing Rules for Fresh Waters"). Properly-marked buoys or floats qualify as valid gear tags. Gear tags must be attached within 3 feet of the first hook at each end of the trotline and are valid for 10 days after the date set out.
• Construction and Design Restrictions: May not have more than 50 hooks on any one trotline.

Umbrella Net

A non-metallic mesh net that is suspended horizontally in the water by multiple lines attached to a rigid frame.

• Legal only for taking NONGAME fish and other aquatic animal life (including crabs, crayfish, and shrimp).
• May not have within the frame an area that exceeds 16 square feet.

Border Water Regulations

ALL fish landed in Texas must comply with Texas bag and length limits. NO EXCEPTIONS.

Texas-Oklahoma and Texas-Arkansas License Agreements

• In Oklahoma or Arkansas waters of the Red River, the requirements of those states apply, including fishing regulations.
• A person must have a valid Texas fishing license to fish from the Texas bank from Denison Dam to Shawnee Creek (see illustration). An Oklahoma fishing license is required to wade-fish or fish from a boat in these waters.
• An Oklahoma resident 65 years of age or older is exempt from fishing license requirements in Texas, including on Lake Texoma.
• A person may fish in Texas or Oklahoma waters on Lake Texoma only with the appropriate license from the respective state, unless the person possesses a Lake Texoma fishing license, which is valid anywhere on Lake Texoma.
• Lake Texoma License (Type 208): $12 – With this license, which is valid until December 31 following the date of issuance, a person may fish in both the Texas and Oklahoma waters of Lake Texoma without any additional Texas or Oklahoma fishing licenses. A Texas resident 65 years of age or older does not need this license to fish in the Oklahoma portion of Lake Texoma. A Lake Texoma license is valid ONLY on Lake Texoma.

Texas-Louisiana License Agreements

Residents of either state, who are properly licensed in their state (or are exempt because of age), or persons who hold valid non-resident fishing licenses issued by either state may fish in any portion of the lakes and rivers forming a common boundary between Louisiana and Texas inland from a line across Sabine Pass between Texas Point and Louisiana Point. Fish landed in Texas must adhere to Texas bag and length limits.

Texas-Mexico

A fishing license issued by Mexico is required to fish in Mexican waters.

Fishing Restrictions for Spawning Alligator Gar