2017-2018 Texas Commercial Fishing Guide
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both a major bay and any other water on the
same calendar day during the period May 15
through July 15 (Spring Open Season).
A shrimp boat licensed both as a bay
shrimp boat and a bait shrimp boat may not
take more than 800 pounds of heads-on
shrimp per calendar day during the period
May 15 through July 15 (Spring Open Season).
See tables on pages 34-35 for open seasons, limits and requirements for the Commercial Bay-Shrimp and Bait-Shrimp Boats.
WATERS DEFINED
Outside Waters—That part of the Gulf of
Mexico extending from the shoreline seaward
to nine nautical miles.
Inside Waters—All bays, passes, rivers or other
bodies of water landward from the Gulf of
Mexico. In these waters, the tide rises and falls
and saltwater shrimp are found or migrate.
Major Bays (arranged geographically north
to south)
• Sabine Lake (north of Cameron Causeway
to the south of a line marked by the GIWW
[Sabine Neches Canal/Sabine River]
between the eastern most tip of Goat Island
to the western most tip of Stewts Island)
• Trinity Bay (southward from a line extending from the mouth of Double Bayou in
Chambers County to Double Bayou Channel Marker 14, to Separator C-2, to Point
Barrow in Chambers County)
• Galveston Bay
• East Bay (westward from a line extending
from Frozen Point to the GIWW Marker 12)
• Matagorda Bay (westward of a line extending from a location on the mainland where
a line running immediately northwest
[bearing 330 degrees] from Shellfish
Marker A intersects the mainland; thence
southeasterly to Shellfish Marker A
located near the mainland, thence to Shellfish Marker B located near the end of Shell
Island Reef, thence to the tide gauge
located near the Matagorda Peninsula, and
thence southeasterly [bearing 153
degrees] to the Matagorda Peninsula)
• East Matagorda Bay
• Tres Palacios Bay (south of a line from
Grassey Point to the mouth of Pilkington
Bayou)
• Espiritu Santo Bay
• Lavaca Bay (seaward of State Hwy. 35)
• San Antonio Bay (seaward of a line from
McDowell Point to Mosquito Point)
• Aransas Bay
• Corpus Christi Bay (exclusive of the area
bounded by a line extending from the
GIWW at the southwest point of Dagger
Island chain, along Dagger Island to the
southeast tip of Ransom Island, then
southeast to the westernmost point of
land north of Marker 14 in the Corpus
Christi Ship Channel)
• All exclusive of tributary bays, bayous and
inlets, lakes and rivers.
Bait Bays include major bays and the
following (arranged geographically north to
south)
• Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW)
exclusive of all tributaries
• Chocolate Bay
• West Bay (south and west of Interstate
Hwy. 45 Causeway Bridge and the GIWW
inclusive of the area south of a line
extending westward from the Interstate
Hwy. 45 Causeway Bridge at Virgina Point,
along the southern edge of Tiki Island to
the northeastern tip of North Deer Island
at Channel Marker 48)
• Trinity Bay (northward from a line extending from the mouth of Double Bayou in
Chambers County to Double Bayou Channel Marker 14, to Separator C-2, to Point
Barrow in Chambers County)
• The Old Brazos River (lying north of the
GIWW in Brazoria County)
• Baroom Bay
• Upper Laguna Madre
• Alazan Bay
• Baffin Bay, and
• Lower Laguna Madre including the
Brownsville Ship Channel
Nursery Areas (Those coastal waters not
specifically named above as Major Bays or
Bait Bays are considered Nursery Areas)—
Includes tributary bays, bayous, inlets,
lakes and rivers that provide growth and
development environments for postlarval
and juvenile shrimp. Does not include
outside waters, major bays or bait bays.
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both a major bay and any other water on the
same calendar day during the period May 15
through July 15 (Spring Open Season).
A shrimp boat licensed both as a bay
shrimp boat and a bait shrimp boat may not
take more than 800 pounds of heads-on
shrimp per calendar day during the period
May 15 through July 15 (Spring Open Season).
See tables on pages 34-35 for open seasons, limits and requirements for the Commercial Bay-Shrimp and Bait-Shrimp Boats.
WATERS DEFINED
Outside Waters—That part of the Gulf of
Mexico extending from the shoreline seaward
to nine nautical miles.
Inside Waters—All bays, passes, rivers or other
bodies of water landward from the Gulf of
Mexico. In these waters, the tide rises and falls
and saltwater shrimp are found or migrate.
Major Bays (arranged geographically north
to south)
• Sabine Lake (north of Cameron Causeway
to the south of a line marked by the GIWW
[Sabine Neches Canal/Sabine River]
between the eastern most tip of Goat Island
to the western most tip of Stewts Island)
• Trinity Bay (southward from a line extending from the mouth of Double Bayou in
Chambers County to Double Bayou Channel Marker 14, to Separator C-2, to Point
Barrow in Chambers County)
• Galveston Bay
• East Bay (westward from a line extending
from Frozen Point to the GIWW Marker 12)
• Matagorda Bay (westward of a line extending from a location on the mainland where
a line running immediately northwest
[bearing 330 degrees] from Shellfish
Marker A intersects the mainland; thence
southeasterly to Shellfish Marker A
located near the mainland, thence to Shellfish Marker B located near the end of Shell
Island Reef, thence to the tide gauge
located near the Matagorda Peninsula, and
thence southeasterly [bearing 153
degrees] to the Matagorda Peninsula)
• East Matagorda Bay
• Tres Palacios Bay (south of a line from
Grassey Point to the mouth of Pilkington
Bayou)
• Espiritu Santo Bay
• Lavaca Bay (seaward of State Hwy. 35)
• San Antonio Bay (seaward of a line from
McDowell Point to Mosquito Point)
• Aransas Bay
• Corpus Christi Bay (exclusive of the area
bounded by a line extending from the
GIWW at the southwest point of Dagger
Island chain, along Dagger Island to the
southeast tip of Ransom Island, then
southeast to the westernmost point of
land north of Marker 14 in the Corpus
Christi Ship Channel)
• All exclusive of tributary bays, bayous and
inlets, lakes and rivers.
Bait Bays include major bays and the
following (arranged geographically north to
south)
• Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW)
exclusive of all tributaries
• Chocolate Bay
• West Bay (south and west of Interstate
Hwy. 45 Causeway Bridge and the GIWW
inclusive of the area south of a line
extending westward from the Interstate
Hwy. 45 Causeway Bridge at Virgina Point,
along the southern edge of Tiki Island to
the northeastern tip of North Deer Island
at Channel Marker 48)
• Trinity Bay (northward from a line extending from the mouth of Double Bayou in
Chambers County to Double Bayou Channel Marker 14, to Separator C-2, to Point
Barrow in Chambers County)
• The Old Brazos River (lying north of the
GIWW in Brazoria County)
• Baroom Bay
• Upper Laguna Madre
• Alazan Bay
• Baffin Bay, and
• Lower Laguna Madre including the
Brownsville Ship Channel
Nursery Areas (Those coastal waters not
specifically named above as Major Bays or
Bait Bays are considered Nursery Areas)—
Includes tributary bays, bayous, inlets,
lakes and rivers that provide growth and
development environments for postlarval
and juvenile shrimp. Does not include
outside waters, major bays or bait bays.
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