Texas Fishing Regulations
Managed by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Summary below verified 2026-07-27.
⚠️ This is a planning summary, not the law. Rules change mid-season and many waters carry special regulations. Verify with the official Texas rules before keeping fish.
License fees
Freshwater, saltwater, or all-water packages; endorsements are bundled in. Residents under 17 and 65+ born before 1931 are exempt; everyone else needs a license even from shore.
| Resident freshwater annual | ≈$30 |
| Resident all-water annual | ≈$40 |
| Non-resident freshwater annual | ≈$58 |
Fees approximate as of 2026-07-27; agency fees pages have exact current pricing.
Season, size & bag limits — popular species
| Species | Waters | Season | Daily bag | Size limit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth & smallmouth bass | Freshwater | Open year-round | 5 (all black bass combined) | 14" minimum | Many reservoirs have special slot or trophy rules |
| White & black crappie | Freshwater | Open year-round | 25 combined | 10" minimum | Dec–Feb special retention rules on some lakes |
| Channel & blue catfish | Freshwater | Open year-round | 25 combined | No statewide minimum | Limits on large blue cats apply on some waters |
| Flathead catfish | Freshwater | Open year-round | 5 | 18" minimum | |
| Red drum (redfish) | Saltwater | Open year-round | 3 | 20–28" slot | One oversize fish allowed per year with tag |
| Spotted seatrout | Saltwater | Open year-round | 3 | 15–20" slot | Rules tightened recently — verify current limits with TPWD |
| Southern flounder | Saltwater | Closed Nov 1 – Dec 14 | 5 | 15" minimum |
Community fishing lakes and many named reservoirs carry exceptions to the statewide table above — check the TPWD Outdoor Annual for the water you're fishing.
Plan your Texas trip
Check today's bite forecast: