What Is The Fishing Season In Texas? 2025

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Last Updated on March 10, 2025 by Paul Clayton

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What Is The Fishing Season In Texas?

Are you looking to fish in Texas but don’t know when the fishing season begins or ends? Well, you may find your answers here!

Key Takeaways:

- Year-Round Fishing: Fishing in Texas is legal throughout the year, provided you have the necessary licenses and endorsements.
- Regulations & Limits: Certain fish species, such as flounder, alligator gar, mullet, and red snapper, have specific seasonal and size restrictions.
- Shrimping Seasons Vary by zone, with designated open and closed seasons in the northern and southern zones and in bays.
- Regulation Changes: New fishing rules include mandatory alligator gar harvest reporting, bass and seatrout limit changes, and modified hook requirements for shark fishing.
- Best Fishing Times: While fishing is possible year-round, different months favor specific fish species in various Texas waters.
- Preparation Tips: Before heading out, anglers should stay informed about regulations, update their licenses, and ensure they have the right gear.

Get ready, anglers! The fishing season in Texas is about to make a splash! There’s nothing better than the adrenaline rush of reeling in a big one, and Texas fishing offers just that!

Whether a beginner or a seasoned pro, you’re in for a treat. You might be wondering about the best months for fishing in this southern paradise.

Texas Fishing Seasons:

Year-round fishing with a valid license, following regulations.

Saltwater Fishing:

Flounder limits vary monthly; check gear restrictions.
Alligator gar limits vary by location and season specifics.
Mullet catching is restricted from October to January.
Red snapper season was closed in federal waters on August 2.

Freshwater Fishing:

There are no specific season restrictions; follow alligator gar rules.

Shrimping Seasons:

Southern Zone: December 1 to May 15, July 16 to November 30.
Northern Zone: Varies; check seasons for each zone.
Bays Shrimping: Open year-round with restrictions.

Well, hold on to your fishing rods because we’re about to discuss the details of the fishing season in Texas.

When it comes to fishing seasons in Texas, we can view the question from two points of view – the point of view of law and the point of view of the best time for fishing. Both are important since you don’t want to have problems with the law, and you also want to have a good catch.

With that said, let’s look at Texas fishing seasons from both viewpoints.

So, dust off your gear and prepare for the ultimate Texas fishing adventure!

When Is The Fishing Season In Texas?

First, let’s see when the fishing season is in Texas from the legal point of view.

Well, the fishing season in Texas is year-round. You are good to go anytime as long as you have a fishing license and endorsements for the type of water you intend to fish in.

Certain limitations are imposed on some fish species and water activities. You should be aware of the fishing regulation changes that took effect on September 1 and will be in force until August 31.

For additional information, consult the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department’s fishing regulations. The information you’ll find below was taken from these regulations, but we only covered the rules connected to fishing seasons and their limitations.

Important things to know

The Texas Parks & Wildlife Department imposes certain limits on most freshwater and saltwater fish species. Before we examine those limitations, let’s define a few essential terms.

First comes the daily bag limit, the maximum number of wildlife species you can take in one day. A day is defined as follows – it begins at midnight and ends 24 hours later at midnight.

Then, you have minimal and maximum fish length limits. Most fish species have minimal length limits, and some species have maximum length limits. The latter is there to prevent you from catching fish that’s too young, while the latter is there to prevent you from seeing too much you can guess; this is done to keep fish populations under control.

You should get acquainted with a few other things in the Parks & Wildlife Department, but the three terms described above are crucial for this post.

Limitations for saltwater fishing

Plenty of saltwater fish species have limitations. We suggest you look at the limits yourself, while we’ll focus on constraints depending on the time of year.

Flounder

The daily bag limit is typically five fish, except for November 1-30 and December 1-14. In either period, the daily bag limit is two fish.

Besides, from November 1 to November 30, flounder may only be caught by pole-and-line. On December 1-14, flounder may be seen by any legal means.

Alligator gar

The alligator garfish has a statewide daily bag limit of 1 at any time of year, except for Falcon Lake, where the daily bag limit is 5. Another exception is Trinity River—the everyday bag limit here is 1, but only alligator gars smaller than 48 inches can be retained.

However, from August 15 to September 30, you could enter a drawing allowing selected anglers to harvest one alligator gar over 48 inches from the Trinity River. This contest was limited to the area between the I-30 and I-10 bridges. Something similar may take place this year as well.

Mullet

Mullets over 12 inches in length are not allowed to be caught in October, November, December, and January.

Red snapper

The red snapper season in federal waters off the Texas coast was closed on August 2, earlier than projected. This applies to private recreational anglers.

Limitations for freshwater fishing

There appear not to be special season-based restrictions on freshwater fishing. The only thing to remember here is the alligator gar rules we’ve covered earlier.

Shrimping seasons in outside waters

The Texas Parks & Wildlife Department defines certain seasons for shrimping in external waters. Here are the seasons that apply.

Southern Zone

Beyond five nautical miles: The open season is from December 1 to May 15 and from July 16 to November 30.

Inside five nautical miles: The open season is from July 16 to November 30. The winter closed season is from December 5 to May 15. Shrimping is allowed from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset.

Inside nine nautical miles: The summer closed season is from May 15 to July 15. Aside from that, the National Marine Fisheries Service may close the Exclusive Economic Zone (9-200 miles) when Texas waters are already closed.

Northern Zone

Beyond five nautical miles: The open season is from December 1 to May 15 and from July 16 to November 30, the same as in the Southern Zone.

Inside five nautical miles: The open season is from February 16 to May 15 and July 16 to November 30. The winter closed season is from December 1 to February 15. The hours are the same as in the Southern Zone – from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset.

Inside nine nautical miles: The rules from the Southern Zone apply.

Shrimping seasons in bays

There are some limitations for bays as well, including:

Bait shrimping in central bays and bait bays: The season is open year-round, but

The hours are 30 minutes before sunrise and 30 minutes after sunset.

Shrimping for purposes other than bait in central bays: The spring season is open from May 15 to July 15, while the fall season is open from August 15 to November 30. For either season, the hours are 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset.

Fishing regulation changes

As mentioned above, some new rules will be effective from September 1. You may find the general rules (including the new regulations) here. We’ll cover what’s new:

What’s must report alligator gar harvest within 24 hours of the catch.
The maximum length limit on an alligator gar on the Trinity River is 4 feet (as overviewed above). Aside from that, nighttime bow fishing for alligator gar is prohibited.
The daily bag and length limits for largemouth bass have changed.
It is now allowed to harvest up to 5 basses per day.
A coast-wide limit of 5 fish is imposed on spotted seatrout.
Unless angling with artificial lures, anglers must use non-stainless steel and non-offset circle hooks when fishing for sharks in state waters.
The minimum length for cobia is now 40 inches.
The Parks & Wildlife Department now manages the red snapper season for private recreational anglers in federal waters.

When Is The Best Time To Fish In Texas?

You may fish whenever you want throughout the year (except for a few limitations we’ve discussed), but you should try to maximize your catch by fishing at the right time.

According to the Game & Fish Magazine, here are the fish species to look for in each month of the year:

January: speckled trout at East Matagorda Bay.
February: white bass at Nueces River.
March: white bass at Sabine River.
April: speckled trout at Baffin Bay.
May: bream at Toledo Bend.
June: redfish at Port O’Connor.
JuO’Connorkled trout at Sabine Jetties.
August: redfish at Port O’Connor JetO’Connorptember: crappies at Sam Rayburn.
October: King mackerel at Port Mansfield Offshore.
November: redfish at Sabine Lake.
December: speckled trout at Laguna Madre.

This calendar was made for 2023 but may apply to 2024 unless Texas’s fish populations change drastically. You should be able to catch fish no matter when and where you fish in Texas, but these recommendations should be close to the best times and places where you would want to fish.

What To Do Before Your Next Fishing Trip

Knowing when to fish is a lot, but it’s not enough. Depending on whether you are a new or a returning angler, here’s what you should do before going on your next (or first) fishing trip.

If you are a beginner, ensure you have a fishing license and endorsements for freshwater/saltwater fishing. Then, make sure to get acquainted with all the fishing regulations of the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Don’t also forget to bring proper fishing equipment, including safety gear.

If you are a returning angler, consider the regulation changes effective until August 31. If you haven’t fished for years, look at the history of regulation change. There may be some crucial info for you there.

Don’t forget to recontour your fishing license as well if required.

We suggest you visit the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department’s website for more exciting information.

Wrapping Up

In conclusion, the fishing season in Texas is a year-round extravaganza! Texas offers many fishing opportunities throughout the year for novice and expert anglers.

Whether it’s freshwater or saltwater fishing, Texas has got you covered! The peak months for fishing vary depending on the species and location, making it an exciting adventure every time. So grab your gear and head to Texas if you’re planning to be some largemouth bass or red drum.

There’s always a season in Texas waiting for you! Isn’t that a fantastic reason to get excited about Texas fishing?

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