Pay lakes in Texas
Texas has 19 pay lakes; 3 stock catfish; most charge $5 to $25 a day.
Find a pay lake in Texas by name or town
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Do you need a fishing license at a pay lake in Texas?
It depends. A Texas fishing license is required only on public water; at a self-contained private pond (not a dammed public stream, not overflowed by or stocked from public water) no license is needed and no size or bag limits apply, so most private pay ponds need no license, but pay operations on rivers, creeks or reservoirs do.
"As long as your pond is self contained, not a result of damming a public stream, ... subject to over-flow from public water ... then you do not need a fishing license and no size or bag limits apply."
Source: TPWD Law Enforcement FAQ 'Do I need a fishing license to fish on my private pond?'; statutory basis Tex. Parks & Wild. Code § 46.001(a): 'No person may fish in the public water of this state ... unless the person has acquired a fishing license' (https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/PW/htm/PW.46.htm), checked November 2026. Compare every state on our pay lake license rules page.
More pay lake states
Browse catfish pay lakes, trout pay ponds or see what pay lakes cost.