Freshwater / Bass

Striped & hybrid striped bass

Hard-fighting open-water fish, often below dams.

A strong fight in big open water and tailraces.

Daily limit

5 per day, in any combination.

18-inch minimum (statewide).

Lake Texoma is completely different: 10 per day, no minimum length, only 2 of the 10 may be 20 inches or longer, and culling is not allowed.

Source to confirm: TPWD Freshwater Bag & Length Limits

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 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.

Catfish

The bruiser of Texas catfish.

Official sources

Fishing rules for striped & hybrid striped bass 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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