Fishing

Like other outdoor activities in Texas, fishing is a popular recreational endeavor due to the mild year-round temperatures. The Lone Star State is also well known in angler circles for its freshwater reservoirs and streams packed with largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, panfish (bluegill, sunfish), and catfish, as well as the draw of the Gulf Coast [1]’s tarpon, amberjack, red drum, and spotted sea trout.

For recommendations about the best places to cast a line in Texas’s fishing hot spots (along the Gulf Coast, the reservoirs in East Texas’s national forests [2]), consult the appropriate regional sections in this guide. For detailed information about fishing reports, tides, permits, limits, and advisories, visit the Texas Park and Wildlife Department’s comprehensive website: www.tpwd.state.tx.us [3].