By Jessica Domel
Multimedia Reporter

Texas anglers will see a few changes to freshwater fishing regulations later this fall.

Several of the changes approved by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission in March focus on simplifying and clarifying freshwater fishing regulations on Community Fishing Lakes (CFLs).

“The rule change would replace the term ‘public park’ with the phrase ‘municipal, city, county or state park’ to exclude federal parklands, which are not regulated by the department and to exclude impoundments greater than 75 acres that are totally within the boundaries of state parks for the definition of a Community Fishing Lake,” Michael Tennant, regulations and public policy coordinator for Inland Fisheries for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), told the commission.

Current fishing regulations on CFLs follow statewide standards with special exceptions for catfish, bass and sunfish.

After Sept. 1, when the rule changes go into effect, the daily bag limit on most CFLs will be five, all species combined, with one black bass greater than 14 inches allowed.

“We are hopeful this new regulation will enhance the overall fishing experience for CFL anglers by reducing regulatory complexity and enhancing and diversifying fishing opportunities,” Tennant said.

The changes to CFL rules require changes to catfish regulations for three state park lakes—Abilene in Taylor County, Raven in Walker County and Sheldon in Harris County—that would no longer be considered CFLs because of their size.

“Biologists have indicated that these lakes require more restrictive catfish regulations due to limited natural reproduction,” Tennant said. “The rule change implements a daily bag limit of 15 and a 14-inch minimum length limit.”

The commission also approved clarifications to pole-and-line restrictions for CFLs, state park lakes and Deputy Darren Goforth Park Lake in Harris County.

“Current pole-and-line restrictions allow game and non-game fish to be taken only by pole-and-line and/or employ no more than two pole-and-line devices at the same time for a variety of public waterbodies,” Tennant said.

The term “pole-and-line” covers a line with a hook attached to a pole. It includes a rod and reel.

“The change will continue most existing pole-and-line restrictions and clarify restrictions for CFLs and 10 state park lakes that would not be defined as CFLs and add restrictions for Deputy Darren Goforth State Park Lake,” Tennant said. “Pole-and-line restrictions are recommended where fishing pressure is intense to minimize anger conflicts and to distribute fishing opportunities.”

CFL fish harvest regulations will be implemented on several new waterbodies in the fall: Brushy Creek, Canyon Lake Project 6, Deputy Darren Goforth Park Lake, Elm, Pilant, Tucker Lake and North and South Concho Rivers.

“Biologists have managed some public impoundments, rivers and creeks consistent with CFL regulations for a variety of reasons, including their proximity to a CFL, angler use and fisheries management survey data,” Tennant said.

For example, although Pilant Lake is about 100 acres and does not meet the definition of a CFL, it will be regulated as a CFL because it is located within Brazos Bend State Park where Elm Lake and six other CFLs are.

“Biologists and state park seek to maintain consistent harvest regulations on all lakes within Brazos Bend State Park,” Tennant said.

The daily bag limit for those waterbodies will be five, all species in aggregate, with one black bass greater than 14 inches allowed.

In addition to changes to CFL fishing regulations, the commission approved changes to freshwater fishing regulations for lakes in the following counties: Tom Green, Denton, Cameron, Titus, McMullen, Live Oak, Coleman, Concho, Runnels, Montgomery and Walker.

On Lake Nasworthy in San Angelo (Tom Green County), special exceptions for largemouth bass will be eliminated in the fall.

“The largemouth bass population has a long history of slow growth, poor size structure and body condition,” Tennant said. “In 2015, a 14-18 inch slot length limit was adopted intending to improve size structure and body condition. Over the past seven years, creel data has shown low harvest and fisheries management data shows no changes in bass abundance, condition or growth.”

To restructure the population, TPWD staff say harvest of largemouth bass under the current slot length limit is necessary.

With the elimination of the special exception, bag limit, length and possession limits for largemouth bass on the lake will return to the statewide standard.

In Denton County, largemouth bass caught on Lake Forest Park will be catch-and-release only.

“Lake Forest Park has recently been renovated to improve the fishery and provide quality urban angling opportunities. Renovations include dam replacement, silt removal, a pedestrian bridge, shoreline access including dock and a kayak launch, fish habitat and fish stocking. The fisheries management goal is to develop a quality, self-sustaining largemouth bass population,” Tennant said. “It is important to provide protection to those initial year classes of stocked largemouth bass to achieve the fisheries’ management goal.”

In Grimes County, TPWD is removing fishing regulations for Gibbons Creek Reservoir as it is privately-owned and no longer open to the public.

In Cameron County, anglers will no longer see special exceptions for blue and channel catfish on Dixieland Lake.

A daily bag limit of five, all species combined, will be implemented. A single black bass greater than 14 inches will be allowed.

The change is due to a reassessment of the lake. It is now considered a CFL.

Bellwood Lake in Smith County and Tankersley Lake in Titus County will no longer have special exceptions to bag, possession and length limits for blue and channel catfish.

Tennant said both lakes have low to moderate utilization of the catfish fishery and it is unnecessary to maintain a special exception to statewide standard regulations.

“The rule change would return to statewide standards, as special exceptions are no longer needed, which would consist of a daily bag limit of 25 in any combination of which only 10 can be 20 inches or greater in length,” Tennant said.

There would be no minimum length limit for catfish on those lakes.

The commission also approved the delineation of the upstream reservoir boundary for Choke Canyon Reservoir in Live Oak and McMullen counties as the State Highway 16 bridge on the Frio River, including all waters of the San Miguel Creek downstream from the Highway 16 bridge.

For OH Ivie Reservoir in Coleman, Concho and Runnels counties, the upstream reservoir boundary will be the FM 129 bridge on the Colorado River and Amos Creek on the Concho River.

The delineation of the boundaries will help anglers and law enforcement differentiate between the inflowing river and the reservoir where there are special exceptions to statewide daily bag, possession and length limits.

The final approved change is a correction to the Texas Administrative Code for the upstream boundary for Lake Conroe in Montgomery and Walker counties.

“Existing department publications reflect the correct word name and thus conflict with enforceable provisions in the Texas Administrative Code,” Tennant said.

The freshwater fishing regulation changes go into effect Sept. 1.

The Outdoor Annual will be updated in mid-August to reflect those changes.