AUSTIN – The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is reopening fishing for alligator gar in portions of the river between the Highway 287 bridge near Cayuga and State Highway 7 near Crockett effective Friday, May 24th.

TPWD temporarily prohibited taking or attempting to take alligator gar on May 6 to protect spawning alligator gar, which is a species of conservation concern in the Trinity River. Water conditions that trigger spawning activity in alligator gar, such as water temperature above 68 F and presence of flood levels at the moderate stage as reported by U.S. Geological Survey gauges, were earlier identified by department staff. Some stretches have receded from those flood levels and others are forecast to recede in coming days. Staff believes that the decrease in flood levels indicates that most of the alligator gar spawning has likely occurred, eliminating the need for a fishing closure.

The temporary prohibition did not affect alligator gar fishing in parts of the state other than those areas of the Trinity River detailed above.