2026 regulation year
Texas Channel catfish 2026 — Season, Bag Limit, Size Rules
Ictalurus punctatus
Last updated
Channel catfish are the bread-and-butter freshwater target across Texas — every public reservoir, river, and tank holds them. The statewide rule pools channel and blue catfish under one 25 / day combined limit.
Season
Open year-round Open year-round.
Bag & possession
- Daily bag
- 25 / day (channel + blue combined)
- Possession
- 50 in possession
Size, slot, trophy rules
- Size
- 12 in minimum (most waters)
Gear restrictions
- Pole-and-line on public waters
- Trotlines, juglines, and throwlines permitted with licence endorsement and gear-tag rules
- No more than 50 hooks per angler across all passive gear
Named water-body overrides
Where statewide rules differ on specific Texas waters:
Lake Tawakoni
Trophy blue catfish growing waters; standard 12 in / 25 fish applies
Lake Texoma
TX/OK reciprocity zone — TX combined catfish limit applies on TX side
Lewisville Lake
Heavily-fished urban reservoir; standard 12 in / 25 fish applies
Official source
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department publishes the authoritative 2026 Texasfishing regulations. Always verify the current rule before fishing — emergency closures and in-season changes can override what's published here.