Texas Administrative Code › Title 31 - NATURAL RESOURCES AND CONSERVATION › Part 2 - TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT › Chapter 57 - FISHERIES › Subchapter N - STATEWIDE RECREATIONAL AND COMMERCIAL FISHING PROCLAMATION › Division 2 - STATEWIDE RECREATIONAL FISHING PROCLAMATION › Section 57.981 - Bag, Possession, and Length Limits

Current through Reg. 49, No. 28; July 12, 2024
(a) For all
													 wildlife resources taken for personal consumption and for which there is a possession limit, the possession
													 limit shall not apply after the wildlife resource has reached the possessor's residence and is finally
													 processed.
(b) The possession limit does not apply to fish in the
													 possession of or stored by a person who has an invoice or sales ticket showing the name and address of the
													 seller, number of fish by species, date of the sale, and other information required on a sales ticket or
													 invoice.
(c) There are no bag, possession, or length limits on
													 game or non-game fish, except as provided in this subchapter.
(1) Possession
													 limits are twice the daily bag limit on game and non-game fish except as otherwise 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) A person may give, leave, receive, or possess any
													 species of legally taken wildlife resource, or a part of the resource, that is required to have a tag or
													 permit attached or is protected by a bag or possession limit, if the wildlife resource is accompanied by a
													 wildlife resource document (WRD) from the person who took the wildlife resource, provided the person is in
													 compliance with all other applicable provisions of this subchapter and the Parks and Wildlife Code. The
													 properly executed WRD document shall accompany the wildlife resource until it reaches the possessor's
													 residence and is finally processed. The WRD must contain the following information:
(A) the name, signature, address, and fishing license number, as required
													 of the person who killed or caught the wildlife resource;
(B) the
													 name of the person receiving the wildlife resource;
(C) a
													 description of the wildlife resource (number and type of species or parts); and
(D) the location where the wildlife resource was killed or caught (name of
													 ranch; area; lake, bay or stream; and county).
(5)
													 Except as provided in subsection (d) of this section, the statewide daily bag and length limits shall be as
													 follows.
(A) Amberjack, greater.
(i) Daily
													 bag limit: 1.
(ii) Minimum length limit: 38 inches.
(iii) Maximum length limit: No limit.
(B) Bass:
(i) The daily bag limit for
													 largemouth, smallmouth, spotted, Alabama, and Guadalupe is 5, in any combination.
(ii) Alabama, Guadalupe, and spotted.
(I)
													 No minimum length limit.
(II) No maximum length limit.
(iii) Largemouth and smallmouth.
(I) Minimum length limit: 14 inches.
(II) No maximum length limit.
(iv) Striped and their hybrids.
(I) Daily
													 bag limit: 5 (in any combination).
(II) Minimum length limit: 18
													 inches.
(III) No maximum length limit.
(v) White.
(I) Daily bag limit:
													 25.
(II) Minimum length limit: 10 inches.
(IIII) No maximum length limit.
(C) Catfish:
(i) channel and blue
													 (including hybrids and subspecies).
(I) Daily bag limit: 25 (in any
													 combination).
(II) No minimum length limit.
(III) No maximum length limit.
(IV) It is unlawful to retain more than 10 channel and blue catfish, in the
													 aggregate, of 20 inches or greater in length.
(ii)
													 flathead.
(I) Daily bag limit: 5.
(II) Minimum length limit: 18 inches.
(III) No maximum length limit.
(iii) gafftopsail.
(I) No daily bag
													 limit.
(II) Minimum length limit: 14 inches.
(III) No maximum length limit.
(D) Cobia.
(i) Daily bag limit:
													 1.
(ii) Minimum length limit: 40 inches.
(iii) No maximum length limit.
(E) Crappie, black and white (including hybrids and subspecies).
(i) Daily bag limit: 25.
(ii)
													 Minimum length limit: 10 inches.
(iii) No maximum length
													 limit.
(F) Drum, black.
(i) Daily bag limit: 5.
(ii)
													 Minimum length limit: 14 inches.
(iii) Maximum length limit: 30
													 inches.
(iv) One black drum over 52 inches may be retained per day
													 as part of the five-fish bag limit.
(G) Drum, red.
(i) Daily bag limit: 3.
(ii)
													 Minimum length limit: 20 inches.
(iii) Maximum length limit: 28
													 inches.
(iv) During a license year, one red drum exceeding the
													 maximum length limit established by this subparagraph may be retained when affixed with a properly executed
													 Red Drum Tag, a properly executed Exempt Angler Red Drum Tag, or with a properly executed Duplicate Exempt
													 Red Drum Tag, and one red drum over the stated maximum length limit may be retained when affixed with a
													 properly executed Bonus Red Drum Tag. Any fish retained under authority of a Red Drum Tag, an Exempt Angler
													 Red Drum Tag, a Duplicate Exempt Red Drum Tag, or a Bonus Red Drum Tag may be retained in addition to the
													 daily bag and possession limit as provided in this section.
(v) A
													 person who lawfully takes a red drum under a digital license issued under the provisions of §53.3(a)(12)
													 this title (relating to Super Combination Hunting and Fishing License Packages) or under a lifetime license
													 with the digital tagging option provided by §
														53.4(a)(1) of this title (relating to Lifetime
													 Licenses) that exceeds the maximum length limit established by this subparagraph is exempt from any
													 requirement of Parks and Wildlife Code or this subchapter regarding the use of license tags for that species;
													 however, that person shall immediately upon take ensure that a harvest report is created and submitted via a
													 mobile or web application provided by the department for that purpose. If the absence of data connectivity
													 prevents the receipt of a confirmation number from the department following the report required by this
													 subparagraph, the person who took the red drum is responsible for ensuring that the report required by this
													 subparagraph is uploaded to the department immediately upon the availability of network
													 connectivity.
(vi) It is an offense for any person to possess a
													 red drum exceeding the maximum length established by this subparagraph under a digital license or digital
													 tagging option without being in immediate physical possession of an electronic device that is:
(I) loaded with the mobile or web application designated by the department
													 for harvest reporting under this subsection; and
(II) capable of
													 uploading the harvest report required by this subsection.
(vii) A person who is fishing under a license identified in §
														53.4(a)(1) of this title and selected the
													 fulfilment of physical tags must comply with the tagging requirements of this chapter that are applicable to
													 the tagging of red drum under a license that is not a digital license.
(H) Flounder: all species (including hybrids and subspecies).
(i) Daily bag limit: 5.
(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.
(I) Gar, alligator.
(i) Daily bag limit:
													 1.
(ii) No minimum length limit.
(iii) No maximum length limit.
(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 border 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, except for persons
													 selected for opportunity as provided in §
														57.972(j) of this title (relating to General
													 Provisions).
(vii) Except for persons selected for opportunity as
													 provided in §
														57.972(j) of this title, no person in the
													 portion of the Trinity River described in subsection (d)(1)(L)(ii) of this section 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.
(J) 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.
(K) 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.
(L) Marlin.
(i) Blue.
(I) No daily bag
													 limit.
(II) Minimum length limit: 131 inches.
(III) No maximum length limit.
(ii) White.
(I) No daily bag
													 limit.
(II) Minimum length limit: 86 inches.
(III) No maximum length limit.
(M) 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.
(N) Sailfish.
(i) No daily bag limit.
(ii)
													 Minimum length limit: 84 inches.
(iii) No maximum length
													 limit.
(O) Seatrout, spotted.
(i) Daily bag limit: 3.
(ii)
													 Minimum length limit: 15 inches.
(iii) Maximum length limit: 20
													 inches.
(iv) Only one spotted seatrout greater than 30 inches may
													 be retained per day. A spotted seatrout retained under this subclause counts as part of the daily bag and
													 possession limit.
(P) 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 clauses (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.
(Q) Sheepshead.
(i) Daily bag
													 limit: 5.
(ii) Minimum length limit: 15 inches.
(iii) No maximum length limit.
(R) 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.
(V) During the period of time when the federal waters in the Exclusive
													 Economic Zone (EEZ) are open for the recreational take of red snapper:
(-a-)
													 the bag limit for red snapper caught in the EEZ is two, and the minimum length limit is 16 inches;
													 and
(-b-) red snapper caught in the EEZ shall count as part of the
													 bag limit established in subclause (I) of this clause.
(iii) Vermilion.
(I) Daily bag limit:
													 None.
(II) Minimum length limit: 10 inches.
(III) No maximum length limit.
(S) Snook.
(i) Daily bag limit:
													 1.
(ii) Minimum length limit: 24 inches.
(iii) Maximum length limit: 28 inches.
(T) Tarpon.
(i) Daily bag limit:
													 1.
(ii) Minimum length limit: 85 inches.
(iii) No maximum length limit.
(U) Triggerfish, gray.
(i) Daily bag
													 limit: 20.
(ii) Minimum length limit: 16 inches.
(iii) No maximum length limit.
(V) Tripletail.
(i) Daily bag limit:
													 3.
(ii) Minimum length limit: 17 inches.
(iii) No maximum length limit.
(W) Trout (rainbow and brown trout, including their hybrids and
													 subspecies).
(i) Daily bag limit: 5 (in any combination).
(ii) No minimum length limit.
(iii) No maximum length limit.
(X) Walleye and Saugeye.
(i) Daily bag
													 limit: 5.
(ii) No minimum length limit.
(iii) No maximum length limit.
(iv) Two walleye or saugeye of less than 16 inches may be
													 retained.