Changes to Regulations for Catching Catfish

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission adopted multiple changes to the freshwater fishing regulations package for the upcoming 2020-21 season at the Commission’s virtual meeting on Thursday, May 21.

Among the changes approved include standardizing harvest regulations for blue, channel, and flathead catfish in the Texas and Oklahoma waters of Lake Texoma and on the Red River below Denison Dam

In Lake Texoma, TPWD is removing the 12-inch minimum length limit for blue and channel catfish, and for flathead catfish, removing the 18-inch minimum length limit...In the Texas waters of the Red River below Lake Texoma (from Denison Dam downstream to Shawnee Creek), in addition to the removal of the minimum length limits for catfish, TPWD will reduce the daily bag limit for blue and channel catfish from 25 to 15 fish.

Several hunting regulations for 2020-21 were also changed by the TPW Commission. Changes include decreasing the daily bag limit for scaup from three to one in all duck hunting zones; decreasing the daily bag limit for light goose daily bag limit from twenty to ten during the regular season in both zones; shifting goose seasons (and light goose conservation season) in the Western Zone one week later than in previous years; and shifting snipe hunting season dates two weeks later than in previous years.

Author: Tom Behrens

Tom Behrens has over 50 years experience in fishing and hunting across the United States. Much of this time was spent in Oklahoma and Texas where he became very familiar with the outdoor opportunities in these states. You may contact him by email at: [email protected]