The legal fish sizes in Texas saltwater are set species by species by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, and most of the popular targets carry either a minimum length, a slot (minimum and maximum), or a fork-length rule tied to a daily bag limit. Keep a fish outside those numbers and you have committed a Parks and Wildlife Code misdemeanor, measured on the spot by a game warden with a rigid board. The rules below cover the species most anglers actually catch along the Texas coast, plus the federal-water differences that trip people up once they run past 9 nautical miles.
How TPWD Measures a Fish
Every length in the Texas rulebook is “total length” unless the species is specifically measured by fork length. Total length runs in a straight line from the tip of the snout, with the jaw closed, to the farthest tip of the tail.1Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Measurement Tips Lay the fish on its side, press the head against the raised end of a measuring board, and for soft-tailed species like redfish and trout, squeeze the tail fins together to get the maximum length. For hard-tailed fish, rotate the tail to find the longest point.
A rigid board beats a flexible tape every time. On a rocking boat, a slight bend in a tape can cost you the inch that turns a legal fish into a citation. Measure quickly so the fish has a chance if it needs to go back.
Inshore Size and Bag Limits by Species
These are the species that account for the bulk of inshore catches along the Texas coast. All measurements are total length.
Red Drum (Redfish)
Slot limit of 20 to 28 inches, daily bag of three.2Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Drum Bag and Length Limits Anything under 20 or over 28 goes back unless you attach a valid Red Drum Tag to keep an oversized fish. Tagged fish do not count against the daily three.
Spotted Seatrout (Speckled Trout)
Slot limit of 15 to 20 inches, daily bag of three. One trout over 28 inches per license year may be retained with a properly completed Spotted Seatrout Tag, and a second with the Bonus Spotted Seatrout Tag.3Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Seatrout Bag and Length Limits The oversized threshold is 28 inches, not the 30 some older regulations used.
Black Drum
Slot limit of 14 to 30 inches, daily bag of five. One black drum over 52 inches per day may be retained, but that trophy fish counts inside the five-fish bag rather than as an extra.2Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Drum Bag and Length Limits
Southern Flounder
Minimum length of 15 inches, daily bag of five. The flounder fishery closes entirely from November 1 through December 14 each year to protect fish during the fall spawning migration, and the bag limit is zero during that window.4Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Flounder Bag and Length Limits If your trip falls inside that closure, target something else.
Sheepshead
Minimum length of 15 inches, daily bag of 15. No maximum, so any legal-sized sheepshead can be kept.
Cobia
Minimum length of 37 inches, daily bag of one. Given that threshold, most cobia hooked around jetties and platforms need to go back.
Red Snapper: State Waters vs. Federal Waters
Red snapper is the species where location on the water changes the rules. Texas state jurisdiction runs 9 nautical miles from shore. Beyond that is federal water, and the numbers shift.
In state waters, red snapper season is open year-round with a 15-inch minimum and a four-fish daily bag.5Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Red Snapper In federal waters, the 2026 private recreational season opens May 22 with a 16-inch minimum and a two-fish daily bag. The federal closure date is set mid-season based on harvest monitoring, so verify it before any offshore run. The for-hire (charter and headboat) sector operates on a separate federal season, June 1 through October 25, 2026, with the same 16-inch minimum and two-fish bag.6Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council. NOAA Fisheries Announces the 2026 Gulf of America Red Snapper Recreational Federal For-Hire Season
When state and federal rules would both reach a fish, the more restrictive rule governs. A GPS log of where you fished protects you during an inspection.
Mackerel in Federal Waters
King and Spanish mackerel are managed federally by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, and both are measured by fork length rather than total length. Fork length runs to the center of the tail fork, not the outer tip.
King mackerel: 24-inch fork length minimum, daily bag of three.7Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council. Mackerel, King Spanish mackerel: 12-inch fork length minimum, daily bag of 15.8Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council. Mackerel, Spanish Both seasons run year-round.
Tags for Oversized Redfish and Trout
The tag system is how Texas lets you legally keep a fish outside the slot for redfish and spotted seatrout. Your saltwater package automatically includes one Red Drum Tag and one Spotted Seatrout Tag. You can buy a Bonus Red Drum Tag for $3 and a Bonus Spotted Seatrout Tag separately, doubling your yearly allowance of oversized fish in each species.9Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Fishing Endorsements, Tags and Permits
Tagging is not optional and not something you handle later at the dock. Paper license holders fill out and physically attach the tag to the fish before transporting it. Digital license holders execute the tag through the Texas Hunt & Fish mobile app immediately upon harvest, and the completed harvest report in the app is the documentation.10Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Digital Licenses and Tagging
Species You Cannot Keep at Any Size
Some species carry a zero bag limit no matter the length. The smalltooth sawfish is listed as endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act and is fully protected; if you hook one, cut the line as close to the hook as possible without lifting the animal from the water.11U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Species Profile for Smalltooth Sawfish
A long list of shark species also cannot be retained in Texas or federal Gulf waters, including the Atlantic angel shark, basking shark, bigeye thresher, bigeye sand tiger, bigeye sixgill, sandbar, sand tiger, dusky, Caribbean reef, and night shark, among others. If you cannot positively identify a shark, release it. Possessing a prohibited species can result in gear seizure, vessel forfeiture, and criminal charges beyond the standard fine schedule.
Penalties for a Size or Bag Violation
Most size and bag limit violations are Class C Parks and Wildlife Code misdemeanors, with fines of $25 to $500 plus court costs.12Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Revenue Object 3449 – Game and Fish, Water Safety, and Parks Violations More serious cases can be charged as Class B ($200 to $2,000) or Class A ($500 to $4,000) misdemeanors.13Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Hunting Laws, Penalties and Restitution
The criminal fine is not the whole bill. TPWD also pursues civil recovery values for every illegally taken fish, calculated per animal based on the species. Refuse to pay the civil recovery amount and the department will refuse to issue any future license, tag, or permit.13Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Hunting Laws, Penalties and Restitution A handful of undersized trout, combined with criminal fine, civil restitution, and court costs, can run well past $1,000.
Rules shift during the year, particularly federal season dates for red snapper and other quota-managed species. Check the TPWD Outdoor Annual before every trip, and check NOAA Fisheries for anything you plan to catch beyond 9 nautical miles.14Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Outdoor Annual