Freshwater / Trout

Rainbow & brown trout

Stocked in winter for family fishing.

Not native - TPWD stocks rainbow trout in winter in lakes and rivers across the state.

Daily limit

5 per day, in any combination (statewide).

No minimum (statewide).

Below Canyon Dam on the Guadalupe River, special harvest zones apply: one zone protects a 12-to-18-inch slot (release fish in that range; keep only one 18 inches or longer), another has an 18-inch minimum and a 1-fish bag, and both are artificial-lures-only. Check the exceptions page.

Source to confirm: TPWD Freshwater Bag & Length Limits / Exceptions

More freshwater fish

Bass

Largemouth are the giants people chase; Guadalupe bass is the official Texas state fish.

Daily:: 5 per day, in any combination of the five black bass.
Size:: 14-inch minimum for largemouth and smallmouth. No minimum for spotted, Guadalupe, and Alabama bass.

Bass

A strong fight in big open water and tailraces.

Bass

A smaller cousin that runs up rivers to spawn in spring.

Catfish

Found in nearly every lake and river in the state.

Daily:: 25 per day combined (channel and blue together), and no more than 10 may be 20 inches or longer.
Size:: No minimum length.

Official sources

Fishing rules for rainbow & brown trout come from Texas Parks & Wildlife. Confirm the size and bag limit before you keep one.

Caution: Sizes and bag limits change, and saltwater rules change the most. The official TPWD pages are the final word.

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