Texas saltwater fishing regulations require anyone 17 or older to carry a valid fishing license with a saltwater endorsement, follow species-specific bag and length limits set by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), respect closed seasons, and use only legal gear. Rules change with harvest data and habitat conditions, so check TPWD’s current guidance before each season.
License and Saltwater Endorsement
Fishing in Texas public waters without a valid license is prohibited.1State of Texas. Texas Parks and Wildlife Code 46.001 – Prohibited Acts For the Gulf of Mexico or any connected bay system, you also need a saltwater endorsement. TPWD sells both together as a Resident Saltwater Package for $35, a Non-Resident Saltwater Package for $63, or a Senior Saltwater Package for $17 for Texans 65 and older.2Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Fishing Licenses and Packages
Licenses are available at sporting goods stores, many large retailers, and through TPWD’s online portal. A digital license stored in TPWD’s mobile app counts as valid proof; the barcode or digital certificate satisfies a game warden’s check.
Who Is Exempt
Residents and non-residents under 17 do not need a license or endorsement.2Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Fishing Licenses and Packages Texas residents born before January 1, 1931, are exempt entirely.3State of Texas. Texas Parks and Wildlife Code 46.002 – Exemptions Everyone else must have documentation before fishing. Failing to produce a valid license is a Class C misdemeanor with fines of $25 to $500 plus court costs.4Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Laws, Penalties & Restitution
Free Fishing Options
You can fish without a license or endorsement year-round at more than 70 Texas state parks after paying the standard park entry fee. Inside state parks, fishing from docks, piers, and jetties is limited to pole-and-line with a two-pole maximum per person, and all bag and size limits still apply.5Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Free Fishing Opportunities TPWD also designates one Free Fishing Day each year when no license is required anywhere in the state. In 2026, that date is June 6.6Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Free Fishing Day & Kerrville-Schriener Park Community Day
State Waters and Federal Waters
Texas state waters reach 9 nautical miles from the coastline, farther than the 3-mile limit most other states use.7U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy. Primer on Ocean Jurisdictions: Drawing Lines in the Water Past the 9-mile line, federal rules from the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council control. Seasons, bag limits, and gear requirements often differ between the zones, and red snapper is the clearest example: the federal season runs separately from the state season. If you plan to run offshore, check both sets of rules before the trip.
Bag and Length Limits by Species
Every saltwater angler needs to know the daily bag limit (how many you can keep per day) and the slot or minimum length for each species. Fish outside the legal size window must be released immediately.
Red Drum
Daily bag is 3 fish within a 20-to-28-inch slot. The slot protects both juveniles and large spawning adults.8Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Drum Bag & Length Limits To keep an oversized red drum (over 28 inches), you use a Red Drum Tag, included with any saltwater endorsement or package. A separate Bonus Red Drum Tag allows one more oversized fish per license year, so two oversized reds is the annual maximum, each requiring a completed tag.9Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Fishing Endorsements, Tags & Permits Tagged fish do not count against the daily bag.
Spotted Seatrout
Daily bag is 3 fish within a 15-to-20-inch slot. The tag system mirrors red drum: a Spotted Seatrout Tag and a Bonus Spotted Seatrout Tag each cover one fish over 28 inches per license year, for a maximum of two oversized seatrout annually.10Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Seatrout Bag & Length Limits The tagging threshold is 28 inches, not 30, so measure carefully.
Black Drum
Daily bag is 5 fish within a 14-to-30-inch slot.11Legal Information Institute. 31 Tex. Admin. Code 57.981 – Bag, Possession, and Length Limits The wider slot and higher bag reflect the species’ larger population in Texas bays.
Southern Flounder
Daily bag is 5 fish with a 15-inch minimum length. TPWD closes the flounder fishery entirely from November 1 through December 14 each year to protect fish during their fall spawning migration. During the closure the bag drops to zero, and no flounder may be kept.12Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Flounder Bag & Length Limits Flounder is the species where forgetting the calendar can turn a routine trip into a citation.
Possession Limits on Multi-Day Trips
The possession limit is separate from the daily bag and matters most when you are away from home for more than one day. For most saltwater species, the possession limit is twice the daily bag, so up to 6 red drum within the slot could be in your cooler on day two of a two-day trip.10Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Seatrout Bag & Length Limits While actively fishing, though, you cannot possess more than one daily bag. The doubled limit applies only when transporting fish between fishing sessions before returning home. Once fish are stored at your residence, the possession limit no longer applies.
How the Tag System Works
Any red drum or spotted seatrout over 28 inches requires a completed tag before you move the fish. Paper license holders remove the tag, fill in all information on the front, cut out the month and day of the catch, and attach the tag with string or wire to the narrowest part of the tail just ahead of the tail fin.13Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Tagging Red Drum & Spotted Seatrout Digital license holders report tagged fish through the Texas Hunt & Fish mobile app instead of attaching a physical tag.8Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Drum Bag & Length Limits Each standard tag and each bonus tag is good for one fish per license year.
Legal Gear and Methods
TPWD works from a positive list: only devices and methods specifically listed as legal may be used, and anything else is prohibited by default.14Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Legal Devices, Methods & Restrictions Gill nets, trammel nets, drag seines, explosives, and chemicals are all off-limits in coastal waters. Saltwater anglers are generally restricted to two poles or lines at a time.15Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. General Fishing Regulations
Fishing for red snapper with natural bait requires non-stainless-steel circle hooks. Circle hooks reduce deep-hooking and improve survival for released fish. This requirement is specific to red snapper, not to all reef species.
Species You Must Release
Several shark species carry a zero bag limit in Texas waters and must be released immediately without leaving the water. The prohibited list includes great white, whale, oceanic whitetip, dusky, silky, sandbar, shortfin mako, basking, and sand tiger sharks, among others. If you cannot confidently identify a shark, TPWD requires you to release it.16Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Prohibited Shark Species
All sawfish species are protected under the federal Endangered Species Act. Targeting, catching, or harming any sawfish is illegal. If one is accidentally hooked, keep it in the water, cut the line as close to the hook as safely possible, and report the encounter to NOAA Fisheries.17NOAA Fisheries. Endangered Sawfish: Handling, Release, and Reporting Procedures
Penalties for Violations
Penalties escalate with the severity of the offense. Minor violations like a missing license are Class C misdemeanors with fines of $25 to $500. Class B misdemeanors run $200 to $2,000 and up to six months in jail. Class A misdemeanors run $500 to $4,000 and up to one year in jail. The most serious offenses are state jail felonies with fines of $1,500 to $10,000 and up to two years in jail.4Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Laws, Penalties & Restitution
Criminal fines are not the whole cost. TPWD can pursue civil restitution for illegally harvested fish, calculated per fish by species and size, on top of any court-imposed fine. A conviction can also trigger automatic suspension or revocation of fishing and hunting licenses for up to five years, and gear used in the violation is subject to forfeiture.4Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Laws, Penalties & Restitution Keeping a single undersized red drum can add up to thousands of dollars once fines, restitution, and lost gear are totaled.