LivewellTexas · Polk County · Reservoir
Lake Livingston
Is the fish you caught here safe to eat? Below is every consumption advisory on file for Lake Livingston, by species and size, in plain English — plus what's legal to keep.
10 species with advisories · contaminants: Dioxins, PCBs
What's safe to eat from Lake Livingston
Alligator Gar
| Size | Who | Guidance |
|---|---|---|
| All sizes | Adults and children 12 and older | Do not eat due to elevated Dioxin and PCB. |
| Women of childbearing age, pregnant or nursing | For women of childbearing age, pregnant or nursing: do not eat due to elevated Dioxin and PCB. | |
| Children under 12 | For children under 12: do not eat due to elevated Dioxin and PCB. |
Source: official advisory· updated 2026-11-06
Blue Catfish
| Size | Who | Guidance |
|---|---|---|
| All sizes | Adults and children 12 and older | Limit to one meal per month due to elevated Dioxin and PCB. |
| Women of childbearing age, pregnant or nursing | For women of childbearing age, pregnant or nursing: do not eat due to elevated Dioxin and PCB. | |
| Children under 12 | For children under 12: do not eat due to elevated Dioxin and PCB. |
Source: official advisory· updated 2026-11-06
Flathead Catfish
| Size | Who | Guidance |
|---|---|---|
| All sizes | Adults and children 12 and older | Limit to one meal per month due to elevated Dioxin and PCB. |
| Women of childbearing age, pregnant or nursing | For women of childbearing age, pregnant or nursing: do not eat due to elevated Dioxin and PCB. | |
| Children under 12 | For children under 12: do not eat due to elevated Dioxin and PCB. |
Source: official advisory· updated 2026-11-06
Freshwater Drum
| Size | Who | Guidance |
|---|---|---|
| All sizes | Adults and children 12 and older | Limit to two meals per month due to elevated Dioxin and PCB. |
| Women of childbearing age, pregnant or nursing | For women of childbearing age, pregnant or nursing: do not eat due to elevated Dioxin and PCB. | |
| Children under 12 | For children under 12: do not eat due to elevated Dioxin and PCB. |
Source: official advisory· updated 2026-11-06
Longnose Gar
| Size | Who | Guidance |
|---|---|---|
| All sizes | Adults and children 12 and older | Do not eat due to elevated Dioxin and PCB. |
| Women of childbearing age, pregnant or nursing | For women of childbearing age, pregnant or nursing: do not eat due to elevated Dioxin and PCB. | |
| Children under 12 | For children under 12: do not eat due to elevated Dioxin and PCB. |
Source: official advisory· updated 2026-11-06
Shortnose Gar
| Size | Who | Guidance |
|---|---|---|
| All sizes | Adults and children 12 and older | Do not eat due to elevated Dioxin and PCB. |
| Women of childbearing age, pregnant or nursing | For women of childbearing age, pregnant or nursing: do not eat due to elevated Dioxin and PCB. | |
| Children under 12 | For children under 12: do not eat due to elevated Dioxin and PCB. |
Source: official advisory· updated 2026-11-06
Smallmouth Buffalo
| Size | Who | Guidance |
|---|---|---|
| All sizes | Adults and children 12 and older | Limit to one meal per month due to elevated Dioxin and PCB. |
| Women of childbearing age, pregnant or nursing | For women of childbearing age, pregnant or nursing: do not eat due to elevated Dioxin and PCB. | |
| Children under 12 | For children under 12: do not eat due to elevated Dioxin and PCB. |
Source: official advisory· updated 2026-11-06
Spotted Gar
| Size | Who | Guidance |
|---|---|---|
| All sizes | Adults and children 12 and older | Do not eat due to elevated Dioxin and PCB. |
| Women of childbearing age, pregnant or nursing | For women of childbearing age, pregnant or nursing: do not eat due to elevated Dioxin and PCB. | |
| Children under 12 | For children under 12: do not eat due to elevated Dioxin and PCB. |
Source: official advisory· updated 2026-11-06
Striped Bass
| Size | Who | Guidance |
|---|---|---|
| All sizes | Adults and children 12 and older | Limit to two meals per month due to elevated Dioxin and PCB. |
| Women of childbearing age, pregnant or nursing | For women of childbearing age, pregnant or nursing: limit to one meal per month due to elevated Dioxin and PCB. | |
| Children under 12 | For children under 12: limit to one meal per month due to elevated Dioxin and PCB. |
Source: official advisory· updated 2026-11-06
White Bass
| Size | Who | Guidance |
|---|---|---|
| All sizes | Adults and children 12 and older | Limit to two meals per month due to elevated Dioxin and PCB. |
| Women of childbearing age, pregnant or nursing | For women of childbearing age, pregnant or nursing: limit to one meal per month due to elevated Dioxin and PCB. | |
| Children under 12 | For children under 12: limit to one meal per month due to elevated Dioxin and PCB. |
Source: official advisory· updated 2026-11-06
How to prepare fish from Lake Livingston
Some contaminants build up in fat and skin, so cleaning and cooking can lower your exposure. Others — mercury and PFAS — are in the muscle itself and trimming does nothing.
Dioxins
- Skin the fish — most of the contaminant sits in the fat just under the skin.
- Trim the fatty areas away: the belly flap, the top of the back, and the dark lateral line down each side.
- Cook on a rack — grill, broil, or bake — so the fat drips off the fillet.
- Throw the drippings out; don't use them for soup, sauce, or chowder.
- Choose smaller, younger fish — they've had less time to build it up.
PCBs
- Skin the fish — most of the contaminant sits in the fat just under the skin.
- Trim the fatty areas away: the belly flap, the top of the back, and the dark lateral line down each side.
- Cook on a rack — grill, broil, or bake — so the fat drips off the fillet.
- Throw the drippings out; don't use them for soup, sauce, or chowder.
- Choose smaller, younger fish — they've had less time to build it up.
Is it legal to keep?
These are Texas's statewide limits — a water-specific rule may override them. Always verify the current regulations before keeping a fish.
| Species | Size | Daily limit | Open season | Keep season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth Bass | 14" min | 5 | Year-round | Same as open |
| Smallmouth Bass | 14" min | 5 | Year-round | Same as open |
| Spotted Bass | — | 5 | Year-round | Same as open |
| Guadalupe Bass | — | 5 | Year-round | Same as open |
| Alabama Bass | — | 5 | Year-round | Same as open |
| Striped Bass | 18" min | 5 | Year-round | Same as open |
| Hybrid Striped Bass | 18" min | 5 | Year-round | Same as open |
| White Bass | 10" min | 25 | Year-round | Same as open |
| Yellow Bass | — | — | Year-round | Same as open |
| Channel Catfish | — | 25 | Year-round | Same as open |
| Blue Catfish | — | 25 | Year-round | Same as open |
| Flathead Catfish | 18" min | 5 | Year-round | Same as open |
| White Crappie | 10" min | 25 | Year-round | Same as open |
| Black Crappie | 10" min | 25 | Year-round | Same as open |
| Alligator Gar | — | 1 | Year-round | Same as open |
| Paddlefish | — | 0 | Year-round | Same as open |
| Saugeye | — | 5 | Year-round | Same as open |
| Gizzard Shad | — | — | Year-round | Same as open |
| Threadfin Shad | — | — | Year-round | Same as open |
| Bluegill | — | — | Year-round | Same as open |
| Redear Sunfish | — | — | Year-round | Same as open |
| Green Sunfish | — | — | Year-round | Same as open |
| Warmouth | — | — | Year-round | Same as open |
| Longear Sunfish | — | — | Year-round | Same as open |
| Rainbow Trout | — | 5 | Year-round | Same as open |
| Brown Trout | — | 5 | Year-round | Same as open |
| Walleye | — | 5 | Year-round | Same as open |
Official rules: Texas — Texas TPWD