Texas Freshwater Fish Limits [2023]: Top 27 Game Fish

This guide explains the size limits for freshwater fish in Texas, how to measure a fish’s length, and answers to frequently asked questions so you can be fully prepared for your next fishing trip.

Texas has some of the best freshwater fishing in the country, and visitors can find everything from large bass to small sunfish. However, knowing the size limits for game fish in Texas is essential before heading out on your next fishing trip. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department imposes restrictions on the size and number of fish that can be caught to protect the state’s wildlife population.

The following are the permissible sizes and bag limits for game fish in Texas. These restrictions only apply to freshwater bodies in the state, with the exception of those noted otherwise.

This article will cover:

List of Texas freshwater game fish bag and size limits
How to measure a fish’s length
Frequently asked questions

You can find out how many of each species of fish is legal to catch at any given time by reading our helpful guide below.

Bass Aggregate Bag Limit

Location – all public fresh waters except locations stated in the Exceptions to Statewide Freshwater Harvest Regulations.
5 fish per harvester per day aggregate bag limit in any combination of largemouth, smallmouth, Alabama, and spotted bass species, unless stated otherwise
Seasons – The species is open year-round unless otherwise indicated

Catfish Aggregate Bag Limit

Location – all public fresh waters except locations stated in the Exceptions to Statewide Freshwater Harvest Regulations.
25 fish per harvester per day aggregate bag limit in any combination of blue, channel and hybrid species, unless stated otherwise.

Crappie Aggregate Bag Limit

25 fish per harvester per day aggregate bag limit in any combination of black, white and hybrid species, unless stated otherwise.

Texas Game Fish List

Note: Texas does not place any bag or size restrictions on freshwater fish that are not listed below.

Alabama Bass

Daily Bag Limit: 5 (included in the bass aggregate bag limit)
Minimum Length: None

Guadalupe Bass

Daily Bag Limit: 5 (included in the bass aggregate bag limit)
Minimum Length: None

Hybrid Bass

State Bag Limit: 5 (included in the bass aggregate bag limit)
State Min Length: 18 inches
Lake Texoma Bag Limit: 10, possession limit: 20
Lake Texoma Min Length: none
Lake Texoma Max Length: two may be 20 inches or greater daily
Culling of striped bass and hybrid striped bass is prohibited.

Largemouth Bass

Daily Bag Limit: 5 (included in the bass aggregate bag limit)
Minimum Length: 14 inches

Palmetto Bass

State Bag Limit: 5 (included in the bass aggregate bag limit)
State Min Length: 18 inches
Lake Texoma Bag Limit: 10, possession limit: 20
Lake Texoma Min Length: none
Lake Texoma Max Length: two may be 20 inches or greater daily
Culling of striped bass and hybrid striped bass is prohibited.

Smallmouth Bass

Daily Bag Limit: 5 (included in the bass aggregate bag limit)
Minimum Length: None

Spotted Bass

Daily Bag Limit: 5 (included in the bass aggregate bag limit)
Minimum Length: None

Striped Bass

State Bag Limit: 5 (included in the bass aggregate bag limit)
State Min Length: 18 inches
Lake Texoma Bag Limit: 10, possession limit: 20
Lake Texoma Min Length: none
Lake Texoma Max Length: two may be 20 inches or greater daily
Culling of striped bass and hybrid striped bass is prohibited.

Sunshine Bass

State Bag Limit: 5 (included in the bass aggregate bag limit)
State Min Length: 18 inches
Lake Texoma Bag Limit: 10, possession limit: 20
Lake Texoma Min Length: none
Lake Texoma Max Length: two may be 20 inches or greater daily
Culling of striped bass and hybrid striped bass is prohibited.

White Bass

Daily Bag Limit: 25
Minimum Length: 10 inches

Yellow Bass

Daily Bag Limit: None
Minimum Length: None

Blue Catfish

Daily Bag Limit: 25 (included in the catfish aggregate bag limit)
Minimum Length: None

Channel Catfish

Daily Bag Limit: 25 (included in the catfish aggregate bag limit)
Minimum Length: None

Hybrid Catfish

Daily Bag Limit: 25 (included in the catfish aggregate bag limit)
Minimum Length: None

Flathead Catfish

Daily Bag Limit: 5
Minimum Length: 18 inches

Black Crappie

Daily Bag Limit: 25 (included in the crappie aggregate bag limit)
Minimum Length: 10 inches

Hybrid Crappie

Daily Bag Limit: 25 (included in the crappie aggregate bag limit)
Minimum Length: 10 inches

White Crappie

Daily Bag Limit: 25 (included in the crappie aggregate bag limit)
Minimum Length: 10 inches

Alligator Gar

State Bag Limit: 1
State Min Length: None
State Mandatory Harvesting Reporting: Required – See Regulations Here
Falcon Reservoir Limit: 5, possession limit: 10
Falcon Reservoir Min Length: none
Falcon Reservoir Max Length: two may be 20 inches or greater daily
Falcon Reservoir Mandatory Harvesting Reporting: Not required

Paddlefish

Harvest not allowed

Saugeye

Daily Bag Limit: 5 (including 2 that can be less than 16 inches in length)
Minimum Length: None

Gizzard Shad

Daily Bag Limit: None
Minimum Length: None

Threadfin Shad

Bag Limit: None
Minimum Length: None

Bluegill Sunfish

Daily Bag Limit: None
Minimum Length: None

Green Sunfish

Daily Bag Limit: None
Minimum Length: None

Long Ear Sunfish

Daily Bag Limit: None
Minimum Length: None

Red Ear Sunfish

Daily Bag Limit: None
Minimum Length: None

Warmouth Sunfish

Daily Bag Limit: None
Minimum Length: None

Brown Trout

Daily Bag Limit: 5 in combination with rainbow trout
Minimum Length: None

Rainbow Trout

Daily Bag Limit: 5 in combination with brown trout
Minimum Length: None

Walleye

Daily Bag Limit: 5 (including 2 that can be less than 16 inches in length)
Minimum Length: None

How To Measure A Fish’s Length?

Here is the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission (TPWD) approved method of determining the legal length. It can be achieved in two ways.

For a soft-tailed:

Place the fish on its side, with the jaw closed.
Squeeze the tail fin together to get the longest total length possible.
Determine the length of a straight line from the tip of the snout to the end of the tail fin.

For a hard-tailed:

With the jaw closed, lay the fish on its side.
Measure a straight line from the end of the snout to the very end of the tail fin.

Caution: A game warden from the State of Texas may issue a ticket to anybody who is caught with an oversize saltwater fish.

For more information on measuring fish, refer to the TPWD site.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is The Catfish Size Limit For Texas?

There is a combined bag limit of 25 fish applied to blue, channel, and hybrid catfish without a size restriction. Flathead catfishing is limited to 5 fish in a 5-fish bag with an 18-inch minimum length limit.

What Is The Striped Bass Size Limit For Texas?

The Texas striped bass limit is a 10-fish daily bag and with a minimum size of 25 inches.

What Is The White Bass Size Limit For Texas?

The Texas white bass limit is a 10-fish daily bag and with a minimum size of 25 inches.

What Is The Largemouth Bass Size Limit For Texas?

The Texas largemouth bass limit is a 5-fish daily bag and with a minimum size of 14 inches.

What Is The Smallmouth Bass Size Limit For Texas?

The Texas smallmouth bass limit is a 5-fish daily bag and with a minimum size of 14 inches.

Conclusion

Now that you’ve read this guide have a better understanding of the size and quantity restrictions for different types of fish in Texas. I wish you good luck fishing and hope this article was helpful!