Texas Parks & Wildlife approves proposed changes in fish size, bag limit on some lakes

by Staff of Texas Parks & Wildlife

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission’s Regulations Committee Wednesday approved the publication in the Texas Register of a number of proposed changes to freshwater fishing regulations. The proposals will be presented for public comment at a series of public hearings around the state this spring, and a final decision will be made by the Commission at its March 25-26 public meeting.

Details about the possible regulation changes can be found below, and TPWD invites the public to weigh in on these possible proposals by clicking the public comments section on the TPWD home page.

Blue Catfish — Lake Lewisville (Denton County), Lake Richland Chambers (Navarro and Freestone Counties), and Lake Waco (McLennan County)

Harvest regulations for blue catfish on these reservoirs currently consist of the statewide limits (12-inch minimum length limit and 25 fish daily bag limit). Proposed changes would consist of a 25 fish daily bag limit with a 30 to 45-inch slot length limit, and harvest of only one blue catfish over 45 inches would be allowed. No harvest of blue catfish between 30 and 45 inches would be allowed.

Largemouth Bass — Lake Ray Roberts (Cooke, Denton, and Grayson Counties)

Harvest regulations for largemouth bass are currently a 14- to 24-inch slot length limit and a five fish daily bag (only one bass 24 inches or greater may be retained each day). Proposed changes would make Lake Ray Roberts consistent with the statewide limits for largemouth bass (14-inch minimum length limit and five fish daily bag limit).

Alligator Gar — Statewide

Change harvest regulations for alligator gar from no length or daily bag limits to a one fish per day bag limit. Daily bag limit would apply to both recreational and commercial fishing.

Lake Texoma — Cooke and Grayson Counties

Alligator gar — Change daily bag limit from no limit to one alligator gar per day. Also institute a harvest closure in May to protect spawning adults in a portion of the lake that is within the Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge and a portion of the lake upstream of the U.S. Highway 377 bridge to the Interstate Highway 35 bridge.

Blue and channel catfish — Change harvest regulations for blue channel catfish from a 15 per day bag limit to a 15 per day bag limit of which only one blue catfish 30 inches or greater may be harvested per day.