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.
Size limit
18-inch minimum (statewide).
Good to know
- 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
Others to target
Bass
Largemouth, smallmouth & other black 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
White bass
A smaller cousin that runs up rivers to spawn in spring.
- Daily:
- 25 per day.
- Size:
- 10-inch minimum.
Catfish
Recently changedChannel & blue 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
Flathead catfish
The bruiser of Texas catfish.
- Daily:
- 5 per day.
- Size:
- 18-inch minimum.
Official sources
Fishing rules for striped & hybrid striped bass 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 Freshwater Bag & Length Limits - Official page for this fish
- TPWD Freshwater 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.