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 3 - STATEWIDE COMMERCIAL FISHING PROCLAMATION › Section 57.992 - Bag, Possession, and Length Limits

Current through Reg. 49, No. 28; July 12, 2024
(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.