Saltwater / Flatfish
Southern flounder
A flatfish prized for eating - with a yearly closure.
Great on the table, and the one you can also gig at night.
Recently changed
The flounder season closes every year from November 1 to December 14.
Daily limit
5 per day - except November 1 to December 14, when the season is closed and you can't keep any.
Size limit
15-inch minimum.
Good to know
- During the open season, flounder can be taken by gig as well as rod and line, and night gigging is a Texas tradition - just mind the November-December closure.
- The closed season protects flounder during their fall run to the Gulf to spawn.
Source to confirm: TPWD Flounder Bag & Length Limits
More saltwater fish
Others to target
Drum
Red drum (redfish)
Tightly managed with a slot limit and a trophy tag.
- Daily:
- 3 per day.
- Size:
- 20 to 28 inch slot (keep only fish between those sizes).
Trout
Recently changedSpotted seatrout (speckled trout)
A coastal staple with a tight slot to protect breeding fish after hard winter freezes.
- Daily:
- 3 per day.
- Size:
- 15 to 20 inch slot.
Drum
Black drum
A coastal workhorse, good eating at the smaller end of the slot.
- Daily:
- 5 per day.
- Size:
- 14 to 30 inch slot.
Other
Sheepshead
Hangs around jetties, piers, and pilings - good eating.
- Daily:
- 5 per day.
- Size:
- 15-inch minimum.
Official sources
Fishing rules for southern flounder come from Texas Parks & Wildlife. Confirm the size and bag limit before you keep one.
- Data vintage:
- Built on the 2025-2026 license year
- Last reviewed:
- June 15, 2026
- TPWD Flounder Bag & Length Limits - Official page for this fish
- TPWD Saltwater Bag & Length Limits
- TPWD Fishing Regulations
Caution: Sizes and bag limits change, and saltwater rules change the most. The official TPWD pages are the final word.
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