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Coastal Fisheries - Texas Parks and Wildlife

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Coastal Fisheries - Texas Parks and Wildlife

The latest news and research from the Coastal Fisheries Division of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Comment Guidelines: http://on.fb.me/cWf2LL

06/12/2026

Check out this sizeable alligator gar that was recently encountered by our Galveston Bay crew while conducting sampling along the 🛥

Alligator gar normally live in freshwater or brackish water but can also sometimes be found in saltwater habitats. These massive fish are able to live for many decades and grow quickly when young but grow more slowly as they age. Young alligator gar tend to feed on larval fishes and insects, while the adults eat whatever they can catch, consuming primarily fish; however, they will also occasionally eat birds, mammals and other animals.

*NOTE: This gar, like all the marine organisms our staff encounter, was released back into the water as quickly as possible.

06/11/2026

🔔 Attention saltwater anglers! 🎣 🐟

The Mississippi State University team will be hosting a webinar on the disCARD project next Tuesday, June 16th, at 6:00 pm.

During the webinar, the team will:
✔ Provide an overview of the disCARD project
✔ Explain why the project was developed
✔ Inform anglers how they can participate
✔ Describe how the information collected will be used to improve our understanding of recreational fish discards in the Gulf

Use this link to tune into the webinar ➡ https://bit.ly/disCARDWebinar

06/10/2026

Take a look at this impressive array of Florida fighting conch our Lower Laguna Madre crew picked up during routine Gulf trawl sampling along the 🌊🐌

The Florida fighting conch (Strombus alatus) is a medium-sized, warm-water sea snail that is commonly found throughout the Western Atlantic Ocean from North Carolina to Florida and the Gulf of Mexico, Louisiana, Texas, and the east coast of Mexico. These marine snails thrive in sandy environments and seagrass beds, which provide the perfect backdrop for them to feed and breed. The Florida fighting conch is an herbivore and its common name comes from the observation of males fighting each other.

These conchs are often observed on Gulf Coast beaches, and after periods of intense winds or wave action, hundreds of Florida fighting conch may be found washed onshore.

*NOTE: All the marine organisms our staff encounter, like these sea snails, are released back into the water as quickly as possible.

06/08/2026

Happy ! 🌎🌊

You'll find us on the beach, in the bays or out along the today as we continue to manage and protect over 350 miles of coastline, seven major bay systems, and all saltwater out to 9 nautical miles in Texas 🛥

06/05/2026

🗓 Mark your calendars for Free Fishing Day 👉 TOMORROW, June 6! 🎣

The Texas tradition of Free Fishing Day returns at public waterways across the state. Each year on the first Saturday in June, Texans and our visitors can pack their tackle boxes, get their fishing poles ready and go fish on any public waterway in the state without a fishing license.

🐟 Check out a state park near you for free fishing day events: https://tpwd.texas.gov/calendar/state-park-events

🚣‍♀ Or plan a paddle trip with your fishing gear using our interactive paddle trail finder map: https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/4e78b5f4b4984b8aa829f3f4265b8537/page/Page

More info about this year's free fishing day ➡ https://bit.ly/FreeFishingDay26
Español ➡ https://bit.ly/DíaDePescaGratis26

06/03/2026

Did you know that Kemp’s ridleys, the world’s most endangered sea turtle, call the home?! 🌊 🐢

Kemp's ridleys (Lepidochelys kempii) are a federally endangered species of sea turtle. And believe it or not, right now is currently their nesting season, which occurs on Gulf beaches from the Bolivar Peninsula, Texas to Vera Cruz, Mexico, with 95% of worldwide nesting occurring in Tamaulipas, Mexico. Although their main nesting beach is technically in Mexico, more Kemp’s ridleys nest at Padre Island National Seashore than any other place in the United States.

More fun facts about this unique sea turtle species:
🐢 Kemp’s ridleys are the smallest sea turtle species in the world — adults weigh only about 100 pounds
🥚 Kemp's ridley eggs typically take about 45–55 days to hatch
🌞 Unlike all other sea turtle species that typically nest at night, Kemp's ridleys are famous for nesting in synchronized groups called arribadas, usually during the day

Sea turtle nesting season always reminds us that life is egg-stra good on the Texas coast. If you see a sea turtle on the beach, give her plenty of space and call ➡ 1-866-TURTLE-5 to report it.

05/29/2026

Our San Antonio Bay team encountered this juvenile red snapper while collecting samples along the 🌊

Red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus) is one of the most sought-after offshore fish, representing an important recreational and commercial fishery. These fish can be caught in all gulf waters.

As young fish, red snapper may be found on muddy seafloor bottoms or inshore environments. Adult red snapper are located primarily near structures in deeper water. They prefer a diet that consists of crab, squid, shrimp and small fish.

Artificial reefs, oil rigs, underwater structures, and snapper banks offshore are the best places to catch red snapper. Hand lines, manual reels and electric reels are all commonly used to catch this species, all equipped with heavy weights and multiple hooks. Bait with fresh squid or cigar minnows. Live pinfish or pigfish will catch larger snappers.

05/27/2026

Check out these cayenne keyhole limpets found by our Matagorda Bay team while conducting essential resource sampling along the 🌊 🐌

Cayenne keyhole limpets (Diodora cayenensis) are a species of small to medium-sized sea snails or limpets. Limpets are a group of aquatic snails with a conical shell shape and a strong, muscular foot that helps them cling to rocky surfaces in coastal environments.

The top of these limpets' shells have an oval-shaped hole in them, called the "keyhole." Since this species of sea snail is exposed to air during low tides, they need to draw water into their shell for respiration and excretion, which is expelled through their keyhole.

05/23/2026

Our Water Resources Team based in Austin recently assisted the Guadalupe River State Park/Honey Creek State Natural Area staff and Texas Nature Trackers (Alamo Area Master Naturalist) volunteers in collecting fish and aquatic macroinvertebrate diversity for the "Texas City Nature Challenge" 🌱🐟

This event is part of the "Global City Nature Challenge" through iNaturalist. By the end of the three-day challenge, volunteers logged 700+ species of flora and fauna in the park/SNA alone!

05/22/2026

Check out this 242 pound bull shark that our Galveston Bay Crew encountered when doing longline sampling along the towards Sabine 🦈

Bull sharks (Carcharhinus leucas) are common off the coast of Texas and live in most of the subtropical and tropical oceans of the world. Unlike most sharks, bull sharks can live in fresh as well as salt water. Sharks must keep salt in their bodies to survive, and most can live only in salt water. This is because bull sharks have developed special adaptations—the way their kidneys function and special glands near their tails—that help them keep salt in their bodies even when they're in freshwater.

And here in Texas, they have been found many miles upriver from the Gulf.

Bull Shark adults can become quite massive, weighing in from 200-500 pounds. Males can grow to seven feet in length, and females outsize them significantly at 11 feet in length.

Address

4200 Smith School Road
Austin, TX
78744

Opening Hours

Monday	8am - 5pm
Tuesday	8am - 5pm
Wednesday	8am - 5pm
Thursday	8am - 5pm
Friday	8am - 5pm

Telephone

+15123898575

Website

https://tpwd.texas.gov/socialmedia/comment-guidlines/

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