Fish Consumption Bans and Advisories

Fish and shellfish can be a source of high quality protein in your diet. Fish and shellfish, however, can accumulate contaminants from the waters in which they live. The Texas Department of State Health Services (TDSHS) monitors fish in the state for the presence of environmental contaminants and alerts the public through bans (closures) and advisories when a threat to human health may occur from the consumption of contaminated fish.

Typically, fish and shellfish do not contain levels of contaminants high enough to cause an imminent threat to health even after a few meals. Health risks from contaminants may increase for people who regularly consume larger fish and predatory fish from one area of contaminated water over a long period of time. To reduce health risks in areas of contamination, people should consume fish from a variety of waterbodies and should generally eat smaller fish. Following TDSHS guidelines and recommendations will significantly decrease health risks and allow a maximum level of protection for persons consuming fish from areas of known contamination.

Consumption bans and advisories are updated by the TDSHS as needed. In waters with consumption bans, possession and consumption of fish and/or shellfish is prohibited. Catch and release fishing from these areas is allowed. A consumption advisory is a recommendation to limit consumption to specified quantities, species, and sizes of fish. For more information, visit the TDSHS website or call the TDSHS at (800) 685-0361 (shellfish) or (512) 719-0215 (fish).

Fish Consumption Bans

The possession of all species of fish and crabs is prohibited from the following areas. Catch and release of fish and crabs from these areas is lawful. For maps and details on these bans, see the TDSHS Listing of Waterbodies with Possession Bans.

Portions of upper Lavaca Bay in Calhoun County
The Donna Irrigation System in Hidalgo County
Trinity River from the 7th Street Bridge in Fort Worth, downstream to the Texas 34 Bridge in Kaufman and Ellis Counties southeast of Dallas
Mountain Creek Lake in Dallas County
Lake Como, Echo Lake and Fosdic Lake (also known as Oakland Lake) in Tarrant County

Fish Consumption Advisories

TDSHS recommends limiting consumption of certain fish in these areas as indicated below. For area maps and details on these advisories, see the TDSHS Listing of Waterbodies with Advisories.

Gulf of Mexico

All Texas Coastal Waters
Chemical of Concern: Mercury

King mackerel greater than 43 inches in total length should not be consumed.
For king mackerel 37 to 43 inches in total length:
- Adults should limit consumption to no more than one, 8-ounce meal per week.
- Women of child-bearing age and children should limit consumption to not more than one, 8-ounce meal per month.
King mackerel less than 37 inches in total length are safe for unrestricted consumption.

South Texas

Lower Leon Creek in San Antonio, Bexar County
Chemicals of Concern: Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)

Persons should not consume any species of fish from Leon Creek starting at the Texas Highway 90 bridge downstream to Military Drive.

Valley (Harlingen/McAllen Area)

Arroyo Colorado, Llano Grande Lake, and the Main Floodway upstream of the Port of Harlingen in Cameron and Hidalgo counties
Chemicals of Concern: Organochlorine pesticides

For smallmouth buffalo, adults should limit consumption to no more than two, 8-ounce meals per month, and children should limit consumption to no more than two, 4-ounce meals per month.

Central Texas

Canyon Lake in Comal County
Chemical of Concern: Mercury

For striped bass and longnose gar, adults and children 12 and older are advised to eat no more than two 8-ounce servings per month. Children under 12 should eat no more than two 4-ounce servings per month.
Pregnant women, women who could become pregnant and mothers who are breastfeeding are advised not to eat any striped bass or longnose gar from the lake.

Northeast/Southeast Texas

B.A. Steinhagen Lake in Jasper and Tyler counties; Big Cypress Creek in Marion County; Caddo Lake in Harrison and Marion counties; Sam Rayburn Reservoir in Angelina, Jasper, Nacogdoches, Sabine, and San Augustine counties; and Toledo Bend Reservoir in Newton, Panola, Sabine, and Shelby counties
Chemical of Concern: Mercury

All Locations: For largemouth bass and freshwater drum, adults should limit consumption to no more than two, 8-ounce meals per month, and children should limit consumption to no more than two, 4-ounce meals per month.
For B.A. Steinhagen Reservoir: For white bass or hybrid striped bass, adults should limit consumption to no more than one, 8-ounce meal per month, and children should limit consumption to no more than one, 4-ounce meal per month.

Lake Kimball in Hardin and Tyler counties and Lake Pruitt (Black Cypress Creek) in Cass County
Chemical of Concern: Mercury

For all species of fish, adults should limit consumption to no more than two, 8-ounce meals per month, and children under 11 years of age should limit consumption to no more than two, 4-ounce meals per month.

Lone Star Lake (aka Ellison Creek Reservoir) in Morris County
Chemicals of Concern: PCBs

Persons should not consume any species of fish from this reservoir.

Lake Daingerfield in Morris County and Lake Ratcliff in Houston County
Chemical of Concern: Mercury

For largemouth bass, adults should limit consumption to no more than two, 8-ounce meals per month, and children should limit consumption to no more than two, 4-ounce meals per month.

Panhandle

Lake Meredith in Hutchinson, Moore, and Potter counties
Chemical of Concern: Mercury

For walleye, adults should limit consumption to no more than two, 8-ounce meals per month, and children should limit consumption to no more than two, 4-ounce meals per month.

Dallas/Fort Worth Area

Lake Worth in Tarrant County
Chemicals of Concern: Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)

Persons should not consume any species of fish from these waters.

Trinity River from Texas 34 to Cedar Creek Reservoir discharge in Kaufman, Ellis, Henderson, and Navarro counties.
Chemicals of Concern: Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), Chlordane, DDE

Persons should not consume any species of gar from these waters.

Houston/Galveston Area

Houston Ship Channel upstream and downstream of the Lynchburg Ferry crossing and all contiguous water including the San Jacinto River below U.S. Highway 90 bridge; Upper Galveston Bay and all contiguous waters north of a line drawn from Red Bluff Point to Five Mile cut Marker to Houston Point in Harris and Chambers counties.
Chemicals of Concern: Dioxin (all waters), and Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and Organochlorine pesticides (upstream of the Lynchburg Ferry crossing)

For all species of fish and blue crabs:

Adults should limit consumption to no more than one, 8-ounce meal per month.
Women of child-bearing age and children should not consume any fish or blue crabs from this area.

Houston Ship Channel and Upper Galveston Bay, downstream of the Lynchburg Ferry to a line from Red Bluff Point to Five Mile Cut marker to Houston Point.
Chemicals of Concern: Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)

For Spotted Seatrout:

Adults should limit consumption to no more than one, 8-ounce meal per month.
Children and women who are pregnant, nursing, or may become pregnant should not consume any spotted seatrout from this area.

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