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Fishing regulations at Gulf of America, TX
Disclaimer: Always check local fishing regulations, water access rights and land ownership before fishing, regardless of any catches logged in that area by the Fishbrain community. Fishbrain has mapped millions of acres of government-owned land across the USA to help you identify potential fishing access, but you are responsible for ensuring compliance with all legal requirements.
Fishing regulations in Texas can change throughout the year. Make sure to check this page before fishing for the most up to date rules and regulations for the current season. Local regulations govern when you can fish, the max size of the fish you can keep, how many fish you can keep, and more.
Below you will see fishing regulations for catching Northern red snapper as of April 4th, 2026. To view regulations for a different fish species, please click on your preferred species in the drop-down.
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Private Anglers and State Licensed For-Hire Vessels: Each Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) state will set the private angling season for state and federal waters. The Texas private recreational regulations apply in state and federal waters off the state of Texas. State Licensed For-Hire Vessels may only fish in TX State Waters (out to 9 nm).
Federal For-Hire Vessels: The federal for-hire season opens June 1, 2026 - 12:01 a.m., local time, October 26, 2026. Anglers fishing from federally-permitted for-hire vessels in federal waters may retain 2 fish per person with a 16-inch minimum size limit. Bag limit for captain and crew on vessels operating as a charter or headboat is zero.
Anglers required to have a venting tool or descending device rigged and ready to use when fishing for reef fish species in Gulf federal waters. For more information, see NOAA Descend Act. Get FREE release gear and learn to use it by completing a 15-minute training from Return 'Em Right. Get started here: https://returnemright.org/about-us/gear-signup/
For additional information about the red snapper season in Texas, please see TPWD Red Snapper.
MFS announces a closure for the 2026 fishing season for the red snapper recreational private angling component in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) off Texas in the Gulf of America (Gulf) through this temporary rule. The red snapper recreational private angling component in the Gulf EEZ off Texas will close at 12:01 a.m., local time, on January 1, 2026, until 12:01 a.m., local time, on May 22, 2026. This closure is necessary to prevent the private angling component from exceeding the Texas regional management area annual catch limit (ACL) and to prevent overfishing of the Gulf red snapper resource.
For more information about Red Snapper regulations in Federal Waters of the Gulf, see Gulf Council. Contact the Gulf Council with federal regulations questions.
Lutjanus campechanus
Get the required release gear for FREE by completing a 15-minute training from Return 'Em Right. Get started here: https://returnemright.org/Get the required release gear for FREE by completing a 15-minute training from Return 'Em Right. Get started here: https://returnemright.org/about-us/gear-signup/
Regulations for
FAQ about Gulf of America fishing
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