Falcon Lake water level & fishing regulations
Last checked against TPWD: Oct 17, 2026
Regulation year: 2026–27
Regulation year: 2026–27
Lake level
261.42 ft
Daily average elevation, ft above mean sea level · Oct 17, 2026 · 20.8% full · +0.13 ft in 7 days
Daily level, last 31 days
Source: Texas Water Development Board, Water Data for Texas ↗ (best estimates; TWDB makes no warranties)
Water temperature
This USGS gauge doesn't measure water temperature.
License
Texas fishing license with freshwater endorsement — see TPWD for who needs one.
Buy on TPWD ↗Official link · we never sell licenses
Exceptions at Falcon Lake
TPWD lists Falcon (Starr, Zapata) in its exceptions table with these codes. Wording is TPWD's:
- Gar2For alligator gar, daily bag = 5. Possession limit = 10.
Statewide limits (for anything the exceptions above don't cover)
| Species | Daily bag | Min length | Max length |
|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth bass | 5 fish for any combination of largemouth, smallmouth, Alabama, Guadalupe, and spotted bass. | 14 inches | — |
| Smallmouth bass | 5 fish for any combination of largemouth, smallmouth, Alabama, Guadalupe, and spotted bass. | 14 inches | — |
| Spotted, Guadalupe & Alabama bass | 5 fish for any combination of largemouth, smallmouth, Alabama, Guadalupe, and spotted bass. | None | — |
Striped & Hybrid Striped bass
| 5 in any combination | 18 inches | — |
| White bass | 25 | 10 inches | — |
| Yellow bass | No limit | None | — |
| Catfish: Channel, blue, their hybrids & subspecies | 25 (in any combination - only 10 can be 20 inches or greater in length) | No Limit | — |
| Catfish: Flathead | 5 | 18 inches | — |
| Crappie: White, black, their hybrids & subspecies | 25 (in any combination) | 10 inches | — |
Gar: Alligator
| 1 | None | — |
Paddlefish
| — | — | — |
| Saugeye | 5 (only 2 can be less than 16 inches in length) | None | — |
| Shad: Gizzard & threadfin | No limit; however, a person who collects shad for personal use and transports those fish from a public water body in a container or containers that total 30 gallons or more in volume will be required to get a Permit to Possess or Sell Nongame Fish Taken from Public Fresh Water . | None | — |
| Sunfish: various including bluegill, redear, green, warmouth & longear | No limit | None | — |
| Trout: Rainbow & brown | 5 in any combination | None | — |
| Walleye | 5 (only 2 can be less than 16 inches in length) | None | — |
TPWD Outdoor Annual 2026–27 · official source ↗ · checked Oct 17, 2026
Free · no account · one-click unsubscribe
Falcon Lake alerts
Free email when TPWD changes a rule for Falcon Lake and before Texas seasons open. No account.