TX · REGULATIONS · SEPTEMBER 2026

Southern Flounder TX legal size & bag limits.

Southern Flounder (also known as Flounder, Doormat, Mud Flounder) in Texas. Minimum legal size, daily bag limit, possession limit — verified against the TPWD guide, 2026.

In Texas, the minimum legal size for Southern Flounder is 15 in and the daily bag limit is 5 per person. Season note: Open seasons and these size and bag limits are reviewed at least annually and can change in-season — always confirm the current Texas rules before keeping fish.

What is the legal size & bag limit for Southern Flounder in TX?

Minimum size
15in
Daily bag
5 per person
Possession
5 per person
Legal size for Southern Flounder in TX: Southern Flounder must be at least 15 in to keep. There is no maximum size. 15 inTOO SMALLLEGAL — NO MAXIMUM
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Is there a closed season for Southern Flounder in TX?

Open seasons and these size and bag limits are reviewed at least annually and can change in-season — always confirm the current Texas rules before keeping fish.

Why these rules exist

Gulf of Mexico, all Texas state waters. Applies to Paralichthys lethostigma (southern flounder), NOT summer flounder/fluke. STATE waters (Gulf, to 9 nm). TPWD flounder rules cover southern, Gulf, and fringed flounder collectively; southern flounder is the dominant species. No separate federal recreational limit.

Source & verification

These limits are pulled from the TPWD saltwater bag and length limits. Last verified September 2026.

Always check the official guide before keeping any fish. Regulations change. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department updates its guide annually and occasionally mid-year. Fines for over-bag or undersized fish are significant.

Texas requires a fishing licence plus a Saltwater Fishing Endorsement (stamp) to fish in public salt water. Texas fishing licences.

See related

Common questions

What is the minimum legal size for Southern Flounder in TX?
In Texas, the minimum legal size for Southern Flounder (also known as Flounder, Doormat, Mud Flounder) is 15 in. Verified against the TPWD saltwater bag and length limits (September 2026).
What is the bag limit for Southern Flounder in TX?
In Texas, the daily bag limit for Southern Flounder is 5 per person. Verified against the TPWD saltwater bag and length limits (September 2026).
Is there a closed season for Southern Flounder in TX?
Open seasons and these size and bag limits are reviewed at least annually and can change in-season — always confirm the current Texas rules before keeping fish. Verified against the TPWD guide (September 2026).
Do you need a fishing licence to fish in Texas?
Texas requires a fishing licence plus a Saltwater Fishing Endorsement (stamp) to fish in public salt water.
Written by
Olli-Mikael Vaittinen, founder of Fishare, holding a yellowfin tuna boatside
Olli-Mikael Vaittinen

Olli-Mikael Vaittinen has fished his whole life. Fifteen years of fly fishing, guiding seasons on Norway's Lakselva — his favourite Atlantic salmon river — and a blue marlin landed in Vava'u, Tonga. Founder of Fishare — the app that puts the data behind the decisions every angler makes on the water.

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