AUSTIN – Simplifying largemouth bass regulations at 12 public lakes highlight this year’s list of proposed freshwater fishing regulation changes.

The potential changes are intended to increase recreational opportunity, make regulations less complex, promote enforcement, and provide for the sound biological management of fisheries resources. Twelve of the 20 lakes affected by the potential changes would revert to the statewide 14-inch minimum length limit, which governs nearly 80 percent of water bodies in the state. The other eight lakes would see changes to more appropriate special regulations.

TPWD will be taking public comment on the following proposed changes to the 2018-19 Statewide Recreational Fishing Proclamation, with input to be considered before any action by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission at its March 22 public hearing:

• Change from 16-inch minimum length limit to a 14-inch minimum length limit. Daily bag would remain at five fish at Lake Granbury (Hood County), Possum Kingdom Reservoir (Palo Pinto County) and Lake Ratcliff (Houston County).
• Change from 18-inch minimum length limit to a 14-inch minimum length limit. Daily bag would remain at five fish at Lake Bryan (Brazos County), Cooper Lake (Delta County) and Old Mount Pleasant City Lake (Titus County).
• Change from 14- to 18-inch slot length limit to a 14-inch minimum length limit. Daily bag would remain at five fish at Lake Bridgeport (Jack and Wise County), Burke-Crenshaw Lake (Harris County), Lake Georgetown (Williamson County), Lake Madisonville (Madison County), San Augustine City Lake (San Augustine County) and Sweetwater Reservoir (Nolan County).
• Change from 14- to 18-inch slot length limit and five fish daily bag limit to no minimum length limit and a bag limit of five fish (only two may be less than 18 inches) at Grapevine Lake (Tarrant County).
• Change from 14- to 24-inch slot length limit to a 16- to 24-inch slot length limit. Daily bag would remain at five fish (limit of only one bass 24 inches or larger) at Fayette County Reservoir (Fayette County), Gibbons Creek Reservoir (Grimes County) and Lake Monticello (Titus County).
• Change from catch and release with an exception allowing for possession and weighing of bass 24 inches or greater for possible submission to the Toyota ShareLunker program to a 16-inch maximum length limit and five fish daily bag with the Toyota ShareLunker weighing and possession exception for bass 24 inches or greater at Purtis Creek State Park Lake (Henderson County) and Lake Raven (Walker County).
• Change from an 18-inch minimum length limit and five fish daily bag for largemouth bass to a 16-inch maximum length limit and five fish daily bag with an exception allowing for possession and weighing of bass 24 inches or greater for possible submission to the Toyota ShareLunker program at Lake Bellwood (Smith County).
• Change from 14- to 18-inch slot length limit and fish daily bag limit for largemouth bass to a 16-inch maximum length limit and five fish daily bag with an exception allowing for possession and weighing of bass 24 inches or greater for possible submission to the Toyota ShareLunker program at Davy Crockett Lake (Fannin County).

Additional details on these proposals including a narrated presentation on the proposals and the opportunity to provide online comments can be found here.

Comments on the proposals for freshwater fishing also may be submitted to Ken Kurzawski at (512) 389-4591, email: ken.kurzawski@tpwd.texas.gov, 4200 Smith School Road, Austin, Texas 78744. Complete text of the proposed changes can be found in the Texas Register.

A live online public hearing via webinar will also be held at 12 p.m. March 6. Details and instructions for participation in the online public hearing webinar will be made available on the TPWD website.