31 Tex. Admin. Code § 57.992 - Bag, Possession, and Length Limits
(a) The
possession limit applies to all aquatic animal life in the possession of or
stored by any person, but does not apply to aquatic animal life that has been
lawfully obtained and for which a person possesses an invoice or sales ticket
showing the name and address of the seller or person from whom the aquatic
animal life was obtained, the amount of aquatic animal life by number and
species, date of the sale, and any other information required on a sales ticket
or invoice.
(b) There are no bag,
possession, or length limits on game fish, non-game fish, or shellfish, except
as otherwise provided in this subchapter.
(1)
Possession limits are twice the daily bag limit on game fish, non-game fish,
and shellfish, except as provided in this subchapter.
(2) For flounder, the possession limit is the
daily bag limit.
(3) 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.
(4) The statewide daily
bag and length limits for commercial fishing shall be as follows.
(A) Amberjack, greater.
(i) Daily bag limit: 1.
(ii) Minimum length: 34 inches.
(iii) Maximum length limit: No
limit.
(B) Catfish.
(i) channel and blue (including hybrids and
subspecies). The provisions of subclauses (I) - (III) of this clause apply on
all waters for which an exception is not provided under subclause (IV) of this
clause.
(I) Daily bag limit: 25 (in any
combination).
(II) Minimum length
limit: 14 inches.
(III) No maximum
length limit.
(IV) Exceptions.
(-a-) Lakes Caddo (Harrison and Marion
counties), Livingston (Polk, San Jacinto, Trinity, and Walker counties), Sam
Rayburn (Angelina, Jasper, Nacogdoches, Sabine, and San Augustine counties),
and Toledo Bend (Newton Sabine, and Shelby counties), and the Sabine River
(Newton and Orange counties) from Toledo Bend dam to the I.H. 10 bridge.
(-1-) 50 (in any combination).
(-2-) No more than five catfish 30 inches or
greater in length may be retained each day.
(-b-) Any lake lying totally within a state
park and community fishing lakes: 5 (in any combination).
(-c-) Counties where sale and purchase of
catfish taken from public fresh water is allowed under the provisions of Parks
and Wildlife Code, §
66.111(b)(5):
25 (in any combination).
(ii) Gaffstopsail.
(I) No daily bag limit.
(II) Minimum length limit: 14
inches.
(III) No maximum length
limit.
(C)
Cobia.
(i) Daily bag limit: 1.
(ii) Minimum length limit: 40
inches.
(iii) No maximum length
limit.
(D) Drum, black.
(i) Daily bag limit: None.
(ii) Minimum length limit: 14
inches.
(iii) Maximum length limit:
30 inches.
(E) Flounder:
all species (including hybrids and subspecies).
(i) Daily bag limit: 30. Possession limit is
equal to the daily bag limit.
(ii)
Minimum length limit: 15 inches.
(iii) No maximum length limit.
(iv) During November, lawful means are
restricted to pole-and-line only and the bag and possession limit for flounder
is two. For the first 14 days in December, the bag and possession limit is two,
and flounder may be taken by any legal means. On September 1, 2021, the
provisions of this clause cease effect.
(v) Beginning September 1, 2021, the season
for flounder is closed from November 1 through December 14 every
year.
(F) Gar, alligator.
(i) Daily bag limit:
(I) On Falcon International Reservoir:
5.
(II) Remainder of the state:
1.
(ii) No minimum length
limit.
(iii) No maximum length
limit except that on the Trinity River and all tributary waters from the I-30
bridge in Dallas County downstream through Anderson, Ellis, Freestone,
Henderson, Houston, Kaufman, Leon, Liberty, Madison, Navarro, Polk, San
Jacinto, Trinity, and Walker counties to the I-10 bridge in Chambers County,
including the East Fork of the Trinity River and all tributaries upstream to
the Lake Ray Hubbard dam, the maximum length limit is 48 inches.
(iv) During May, no person shall take
alligator gar from, or possess alligator gar while on, the Red River (including
Lake Texoma) and all tributaries that drain directly or indirectly to the Red
River on the Texas/Oklahoma boundary in Cooke, Grayson, Fannin, Lamar, Red
River, and Bowie counties.
(v) any
person who takes an alligator gar in the public waters of this state other than
Falcon International Reservoir shall report the harvest via the department's
website or mobile application within 24 hours of take.
(vi) Between one half-hour after sunset and
one half-hour before sunrise, any lawful means other than lawful archery
equipment and crossbow may be used to take an alligator gar in the portion of
the Trinity River described in subsection (d)(1)(L)(ii) of this section. In the
portion of the Trinity River described in §
57.981(d)(1)(L)(ii)
of this title (relating to Bag, Possession
and Length Limits), no person may take an alligator gar by means of lawful
archery equipment or crossbow between one half-hour after sunset and one
half-hour before sunrise, or possess an alligator gar taken by means of lawful
archery equipment or crossbow between one half-hour after sunset and one
half-hour before sunrise.
(G) Grouper.
(i) Black.
(I) Daily bag limit: 4.
(II) Minimum length limit: 24
inches.
(III) No maximum length
limit.
(ii) Gag.
(I) Daily bag limit: 2.
(II) Minimum length limit: 24
inches.
(III) No maximum length
limit.
(iii) Goliath. The
take of Goliath grouper is prohibited.
(iv) Nassau. The take of Nassau grouper is
prohibited.
(H) Mackerel.
(i) King.
(I) Daily bag limit: 3.
(II) Minimum length limit: 27
inches.
(III) No maximum length
limit.
(ii) Spanish.
(I) Daily bag limit: 15.
(II) Minimum length limit: 14
inches.
(III) No maximum length
limit.
(I)
Mullet: all species (including hybrids, and subspecies).
(i) No daily bag limit.
(ii) No minimum length limit.
(iii) From October through January, no mullet
more than 12 inches in length may be taken from public waters or possessed on
board a vessel.
(J) Shark:
all species (including hybrids and subspecies).
(i) all species other than the species listed
in clauses (ii) - (iv) of this subparagraph:
(I) Daily bag limit: 1.
(II) Minimum length limit: 64
inches.
(III) No maximum length
limit.
(ii) Atlantic
sharpnose, blacktip, and bonnethead:
(I) Daily
bag limit: 1.
(II) Minimum length
limit: 24 inches.
(III) No maximum
length limit.
(iii)
great, scalloped, and smooth hammerhead:
(I)
Daily bag limit: 1.
(II) Minimum
length limit: 99 inches.
(III) No
maximum length limit.
(iv) The take of the following species of
sharks from the waters of this state is prohibited and they may not be
possessed on board a vessel at any time:
(I)
Atlantic angel;
(II)
Basking;
(III) Bigeye sand
tiger;
(IV) Bigeye
sixgill;
(V) Bigeye
thresher;
(VI) Bignose;
(VII) Caribbean reef;
(VIII) Caribbean sharpnose;
(IX) Dusky;
(X) Galapagos;
(XI) Longfin mako;
(XII) Narrowtooth;
(XIII) Night;
(XIV) Sandbar;
(XV) Sand tiger;
(XVI) Sevengill;
(XVII) Shortfin mako;
(XVIII) Silky;
(XIX) Sixgill;
(XX) Smalltail;
(XXI) Whale; and
(XXII) White.
(v) Except for the species listed in clause
(ii) - (iv) of this subparagraph, sharks may be taken using pole and line, but
must be taken by non-offset, non-stainless-steel circle hook when using natural
bait.
(K) Sheepshead.
(i) Daily bag limit: No limit.
(ii) Minimum length limit: 15
inches.
(iii) No maximum length
limit.
(L) Snapper.
(i) Lane.
(I) Daily bag limit: None.
(II) Minimum length limit: 8
inches.
(III) No maximum length
limit.
(ii) Red.
(I) Daily bag limit: 4.
(II) Minimum length limit: 15
inches.
(III) No maximum length
limit.
(IV) Red snapper may be
taken using pole and line, but it is unlawful to use any kind of hook other
than a circle hook baited with natural bait.
(iii) Vermilion.
(I) Daily bag limit: None.
(II) Minimum length limit: 10
inches.
(III) No maximum length
limit.
(M)
Triggerfish, gray.
(i) Daily bag limit:
20.
(ii) Minimum length limit: 16
inches.
(iii) No maximum length
limit.
(N) Tripletail.
(i) Daily bag limit: 3.
(ii) Minimum length limit: 17
inches.
(iii) No maximum length
limit.
Notes
State regulations are updated quarterly; we currently have two versions available. Below is a comparison between our most recent version and the prior quarterly release. More comparison features will be added as we have more versions to compare.
No prior version found.