Smallmouth Buffalo
Ictiobus bubalus
There is no minimum length limit or daily bag limit for common carp.
Identify your catch
A native sucker with a small, downward-facing mouth; it is not a carp.
Habitat on Walter E. Long
Bulrush, submerged vegetation, creek channels, dropoffs and submerged tank dams provide cover. Warm discharge depends on power-plant operation.
Fishing approach
Lake guide guidance: TPWD describes plastics or jigs near bulrush, low-light topwaters, live shad or spoons for hybrids, prepared or cut bait for channels, and live bait for flatheads.
Fishing guidance describes documented approaches, not a promise of fish activity today.
No active lake-specific advisory or possession ban was named in the reviewed DSHS directory. This does not guarantee that fish are safe to eat.
Harvest permission and eating restrictions are separate.
General species guide
Usually feeds near the bottom in large rivers and reservoirs. Correct identification matters for consumption guidance.
General Smallmouth Buffalo profile →Sources & lake evidence
TPWD lake guide and reviewed fisheries evidence establish the listed species or group. Historical survey records do not establish current abundance.
Lake harvest rules ↗Eating guidance ↗Lake habitat & fishing guide ↗Fisheries survey · species evidence ↗Species identification ↗