Fishing in Texas

PiscaMaps covers 4,995 public fishing venues across Texas in 8 regions — 1,929 lakes and reservoirs and 3,034 rivers. The largest is Toledo Bend Reservoir, at 165,599 acres. Brazos River is the longest mapped river, running 754 km. Central Texas has the most venues on file, with 1,781. 2 venues are documented trout waters.

The most commonly recorded species across Texas's public waters are Largemouth Bass, Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish, Bluegill, Smallmouth Bass, Spotted Bass, Common Carp and Longnose Gar — the exact mix varies by water type and region. 227 venues have a real boat ramp on file, 165 have nearby camping, and 650 have mapped parking — sourced from OpenStreetMap and recreation.gov's federal facilities database (RIDB) where available.

Fishing Regions in Texas

Texas's public fishing venues are spread across 8 regions on PiscaMaps:

Central Texas · 1,781 Gulf Coast & Houston · 659 East Texas Piney Woods · 537 North Texas & Metroplex · 529 Panhandle & Plains · 422 Hill Country · 386 South Texas & Rio Grande · 365 West Texas & Big Bend · 284

Species Recorded in Texas

The most frequently recorded species across Texas's public venues on PiscaMaps:

Largemouth Bass · 4,929 Channel Catfish · 4,917 Flathead Catfish · 4,826 Bluegill · 4,771 Smallmouth Bass · 4,616 Spotted Bass · 4,606 Common Carp · 2,943 Longnose Gar · 2,745 Guadalupe Bass · 2,740 Rio Grande Cichlid · 2,734

Fishing Licence in Texas

Everyone 17 or older needs a Texas fishing licence with a Freshwater Fishing endorsement — the resident freshwater package is about $30, an all-water package about $47, and a non-resident annual about $58. A 1-day all-water licence is about $16. No separate trout stamp. Buy from Texas Parks & Wildlife. A Texas fishing licence covers public rivers. In Texas a watercourse is public if it is 'navigable in fact' (roughly a 30-foot average bed) — you may wade and fish the bed and banks up to the gradient line, but adjacent land is usually private.

Full access to public fishing venues in Texas

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many public fishing venues are there in Texas?+

PiscaMaps covers 4,995 public fishing venues across Texas in 8 regions — 1,929 lakes and reservoirs and 3,034 rivers. The largest is Toledo Bend Reservoir, at 165,599 acres. Brazos River is the longest mapped river, running 754 km. Central Texas has the most venues on file, with 1,781. 2 venues are documented trout waters.
Do I need a fishing licence in Texas?+

Everyone 17 or older needs a Texas fishing licence with a Freshwater Fishing endorsement — the resident freshwater package is about $30, an all-water package about $47, and a non-resident annual about $58. A 1-day all-water licence is about $16. No separate trout stamp. Buy from Texas Parks & Wildlife. A Texas fishing licence covers public rivers. In Texas a watercourse is public if it is 'navigable in fact' (roughly a 30-foot average bed) — you may wade and fish the bed and banks up to the gradient line, but adjacent land is usually private.
Are there boat ramps and camping near Texas's fishing lakes?+

227 venues have a mapped boat ramp and 165 have nearby camping on PiscaMaps, sourced from OpenStreetMap and the federal RIDB database.