AUSTIN – The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) is now accepting public comment on proposed changes to freshwater fishing regulations for 2020-2021. The proposed changes include modifying harvest regulations and gear restrictions at five water bodies located in Cooke, Williamson, Tom Green, Grayson and Starr/Zapata counties.

TPWD will be taking public comment on the following proposed changes to the 2020-2021 Statewide Recreational and Commercial Fishing Proclamation, with input to be considered before any action by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission at its March 26 public hearing:

• Moss Lake (Cooke County) – Modify the 14-inch minimum length limit for largemouth bass to a 16-inch maximum length limit
• Brushy Creek Lake and Brushy Creek (Williamson County) – Modify harvest regulations for Brushy Creek Lake by changing from an 18-inch minimum length to the statewide 14-inch limit for largemouth bass. On the section of Brushy Creek downstream from the lake to the Williamson/Milam County line, reduce blue and channel catfish daily bag limit from 25 to 5 fish and remove the 12-inch minimum length limit, and add gear restrictions (pole and line angling only and anglers limited to two poles)
• Lake Nasworthy (Tom Green County) – Modify harvest regulations for black and white crappie by removing the current 10-inch minimum length limit
• Lake Texoma and the Texas waters of the Red River below Denison Dam (Cooke and Grayson Counties) – Standardize harvest regulations for blue, channel, and flathead catfish in the Texas and Oklahoma waters of Lake Texoma and on the Red River below Lake Texoma. In Lake Texoma, remove the 12-inch minimum length limit for blue and channel catfish, and for flathead catfish, remove the 18-inch minimum length limit. In the Texas waters of the Red River below Lake Texoma (from Denison Dam downstream to Shawnee Creek), in addition to the removal of the minimum length limits for catfish, reduce the daily bag limit for blue and channel catfish from 25 to 15 fish.
• Falcon International Reservoir (Starr and Zapata Counties) — Continue the five fish daily bag limit for alligator gar. This regulation was designated for review and possible continuation during this year.

The public is encouraged to provide comment on the proposed regulation changes. Opportunities to provide comments for or against these proposals include:

Facebook Live Webinar: TPWD staff will present proposed fishing regulation changes and answer questions in a Facebook Live webinar at noon Feb. 28 on the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Facebook page.

Online: Once the proposed regulations are published in the Texas Register, comments on the changes can be provided on the TPWD public comment page until March 25.

Phone or Email: Comments on the proposed changes may be submitted to Ken Kurzawski at (512) 389-4591, email: [email protected].

In person: The TPW Commission will take public comment on the proposed changes at their meeting on Thursday, March 26 in Austin. Public testimony will normally be limited to three minutes per person.