2026 regulation year
Texas Red drum (saltwater) 2026 — Season, Bag Limit, Size Rules
Sciaenops ocellatus
Last updated
Red drum (redfish) are Texas's premier inshore saltwater target. The statewide rule is a 20–28 in slot with one trophy tag per angler per year for fish over 28 in. The species closed-windowed harvest cap is what keeps Texas Gulf redfish populations among the most stable in the Gulf.
Season
Open year-round Open year-round; one over-slot tag per licence year.
Bag & possession
- Daily bag
- 3 / day
- Possession
- 6 in possession
Size, slot, trophy rules
- Size
- 20 in minimum
- Slot
- 20–28 in slot
- Trophy rule
- One fish over 28 in per licence year with red drum tag (issued with each saltwater licence)
Gear restrictions
- Pole-and-line, gig, or cast net (cast net for bait only)
- No snatch-hooking; no commercial-style gear for sport take
Named water-body overrides
Where statewide rules differ on specific Texas waters:
Aransas Bay system
Statewide 20–28 in slot, 3 / day; bay-specific bait-shrimp rules apply
Matagorda Bay
Statewide rule; commercial reef-harvest zones marked seasonally
Lower Laguna Madre
Statewide rule plus boat-traffic restrictions in seagrass exclusion zones
Sabine Lake
Shared TX/LA — TX licence on TX waters; LA reciprocity required on LA side
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.