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The Laguna Madre stretches out 130 miles behind Padre Island. It's very salty and very shallow, making it a unique gem in the crown of Texas fishing. Here you can hook red drum, black drum, spotted seatrout, snook, flounder and more.
Laguna Madre's rare ecosystem includes seagrass – watch our short video Protect Texas Seagrass before you boat there. Its largest inlet is Baffin Bay, where scientists research water quality and other threats. Find out more in our video The Science of Saving Baffin Bay.
See what what it's like to fish the lagoon in our video Fishing Laguna Madre. For more about its fishing history, read the Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine story Mother Lagoon. Then plan your road trip to the coast!
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A tag system for harvesting oversized spotted seatrout goes into effect Sept. 1, 2024. This tag allows harvest of one spotted seatrout longer than 28 inches.
One tag will be included with your saltwater or combo fishing license or endorsement, and you can also purchase one $3 Bonus Spotted Seatrout Tag per license year.
Find more details in our press release. You'll find all fishing regulations in the Outdoor Annual online or with the app.
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Texas has a new lake! Bois d'Arc Lake is a 16,641-acre reservoir in northeast Texas that opened to the public in April. We began stocking Bois d'Arc in 2018, and you'll find largemouth bass, white bass, crappie, channel catfish and sunfish. There's a 16-inch maximum length limit for largemouth bass, and statewide regulations apply for all other species.
About 50 structures, including timber piles, gravel beds and concrete rubble, were placed in the eastern half of the lake as fish habitat. Use our interactive habitat structure viewer to help you find them. For more about the lake, watch the video Bois d'Arc Lake is Now Open for Recreation.
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Warm weather is here, and that means catfish are being stocked across the state in Neighborhood Fishin' lakes and ponds. Taking the kids on a fishing trip is a rewarding way to spend time together and get them away from screens. Neighborhood Fishin' sites make it easy with amenities like restrooms and picnic tables. If you need fishing gear, check out our free tackle loaner program.
New to catfishing? These 2 videos will help you get fried catfish on the table:
Check the catfish stocking schedule and find a fishing spot near you.
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Do you dream of catching one of Texas' world-famous big bass, but think you need a big-bass boat to do it? You don't!
Jake Norman, TPWD Inland Fisheries biologist, reveals what's needed to catch bass from shore or a paddle craft, including:
- The 3 basic lures and 3 setups
- How to locate bass in the water
- Casting strategies
Find it all in the Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine story Bass Without a Boat.
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Another successful Toyota Legacy Class ShareLunker season has come to a close, and once again, O.H. Ivie came out on top with 12 of the 19-total Legacy Lunkers. Find out more in our press release O.H. Ivie Powers Ahead with ShareLunker 669.
Check out all the big bass and happy faces in the 2024 ShareLunker photo album. There's still time for your happy face to join them, because even though Legacy Lunker season is over, the Toyota ShareLunker season never closes. Find out more about how you can partner with ShareLunker, and be recognized for your achievement and contributions all year long.
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A message from our non-profit partner, Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation:
The dust is flying at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center (TFFC) in Athens as construction crews are hard at work on a massive renovation. Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation is raising the needed funds and is managing the project from start to finish.
The facility opened in 1996 and has welcomed more than a million visitors. As part of the exciting refresh, new and improved display aquariums will be installed. Construction will continue through early 2025 with an expected grand reopening next spring. In the meantime, TFFC’s fish hatchery, Toyota ShareLunker program, and other vital statewide programs continue to operate.
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Fish Texas is made possible by the generous support of Toyota.
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