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Imagine you’re standing on the bank of a muddy river watching a big carp cruise through the shallows. You’ve got a fishing license in your wallet, a rifle in your truck, and a pretty clear shot at the fish.
Can you legally shoot it?
In many states, no. And depending on where you are, firing that shot could violate both fishing regulations and firearm discharge laws.
Now replace the rifle with a compound bow and a fishing arrow attached to a reel. Suddenly, that same fish might be perfectly legal to shoot.
Welcome to one of the stranger corners of American fishing law, where shooting a fish with a bullet is generally prohibited, shooting it with an arrow is legal in many states, and shooting the wrong species with that same arrow can still get you cited.
The rules get even more interesting when you throw in crossbows, underwater spearguns, invasive species, and states that allow bowfishing at night.
Is It Legal to Shoot Fish With a Gun?
Generally speaking, shooting fish with a conventional firearm is prohibited under state fishing regulations. Several states explicitly ban using firearms to take fish, whether the target is a game fish or a nongame species.
Florida prohibits taking freshwater fish with firearms, explosives, electricity, spearguns, poison, or other chemicals. Wyoming prohibits taking, wounding, or destroying fish with firearms. Tennessee specifically prohibits shooting fish or turtles with firearms or air guns.
These laws can cover the act of shooting or wounding fish, even if you don’t retrieve them. Separate local firearm discharge ordinances and public-land rules may apply, too. Shooting into water is also dangerous: bullets can ricochet, especially at shallow angles.
Owning the pond or shoreline doesn’t automatically exempt you from fishing regulations or firearm laws.
Why Is Bowfishing Legal When Shooting Fish With a Rifle Isn’t?
Because fishing regulations often treat archery equipment differently from firearms. Bowfishing uses a bow fitted with a specialized arrow, typically attached to a retrieval line. The arrow strikes the fish, and the angler retrieves it.
Unlike ordinary catch-and-release fishing, bowfishing is a harvest activity. Fish struck by arrows may be seriously injured or killed, so states restrict which species can be taken.
Texas, for example, recognizes longbows, recurve bows, compound bows, and crossbows as bowfishing equipment. But archery is generally limited to eligible nongame fish, not game fish such as largemouth bass. A fishing license is generally required for bowfishing in public waters, subject to exemptions.
See Texas Parks and Wildlife’s bowfishing regulations.
What Fish Can You Legally Shoot With a Bow?
That depends on the state, the water, and the species. Fish legal to catch with a rod and reel may be off-limits to bowfishing. And “nongame” doesn’t necessarily mean “invasive.” Some native nongame species can be legal targets, while others receive special protections.
| State | General approach |
|---|---|
| Texas | Eligible nongame fish may be taken by bow; game fish may not. Special species and water restrictions apply. |
| Florida | Certain nongame freshwater fish may be taken with authorized bows, subject to restrictions. |
| Maryland | Certain species, including common carp and specified catfish, are allowed; bass and trout are among prohibited targets. |
| Utah | Certain nonprotected nongame fish, including carp, may be taken under method- and water-specific rules. |
| Wyoming | Nongame fish may be taken with archery equipment; game fish may not. |
| Nevada | Archery and spearfishing rules distinguish unprotected fish and certain specially designated waters and species. |
These are broad summaries, not permission to bowfish any particular lake. Check the current state fishing guide and any water-specific restrictions before going.
Maryland’s Unusual Bowfishing Rules
Maryland authorizes certain bows, crossbows, and gigs for specified species. Its regulations distinguish allowed fish such as common carp and certain catfish from prohibited species including largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, striped bass, trout, and walleye.
Nighttime rules also address proximity to people, vessels, duck blinds, diving flags, and swimming areas. Maryland’s regulations caution bowfishers about shining lights into homes and violating local noise ordinances.
See Maryland’s published bowfishing regulations.
Can You Shoot a Bass With a Bow?
Generally not in the states discussed above. Bass are usually regulated as game fish, and bowfishing is often restricted to designated nongame species. In Texas, taking game fish with archery equipment is prohibited. Florida requires freshwater game fish to be taken using approved hook-and-line methods. Maryland also lists largemouth and smallmouth bass among species prohibited from bowfishing.
The key point: being allowed to keep a fish doesn’t necessarily mean you’re allowed to shoot it.
Can You Bowfish at Night?
Yes, in many places. Anglers sometimes use boat-mounted lights to spot fish in shallow water after dark. Utah permits nighttime bowfishing in many waters but has special restrictions in certain areas and seasons. Maryland also permits nighttime bowfishing under additional safety and proximity rules.
Don’t assume that a daytime bowfishing allowance automatically applies at night. Local boating, lighting, noise, and water-specific regulations can matter.
Can You Use a Crossbow to Shoot Fish?
Some states allow it. Texas and Maryland recognize crossbows as authorized bowfishing equipment for eligible species. Utah has more specific restrictions on crossbows and certain air-powered arrow or bolt devices, including rules tied to carp.
A crossbow that’s legal for hunting deer isn’t automatically legal for taking every kind of fish.
What About Spearguns and Underwater Fishing?
Spearfishing adds another set of distinctions. Some states permit underwater spearfishing for specified fish or waters; others restrict it heavily.
Florida prohibits taking freshwater fish with spearguns or while underwater swimming or diving. Its saltwater spearfishing rules separately authorize some species and prohibit others, including protected fish.
Nevada has special spearfishing provisions for unprotected fish and designated striped bass waters, along with restrictions around docks and swimming areas and dive-flag requirements.
Before taking a spear underwater, check both the species list and the exact lake or coastal area.
See Florida’s freshwater taking-fish rules.
Are Carp and Other Invasive Fish Fair Game?
Carp are popular bowfishing targets, but invasive or nuisance status doesn’t automatically make a fish legal to shoot. Some nongame fish have harvest limits, and some native species are protected.
Texas, for example, has special restrictions for alligator gar, including a statewide daily bag limit and additional rules in certain waters. It also has special rules for large common carp in Lady Bird Lake.
A large fish rolling near the surface is not automatically a legal target. Identify it first.
Can You Shoot Fish on Your Own Private Property?
Private ownership doesn’t necessarily override state wildlife regulations. A pond owner may control access, and some states recognize private-pond exemptions, but method-of-take laws and firearm discharge restrictions can still apply.
Before shooting fish in a privately stocked pond, check whether the water qualifies for a legal exemption and whether the weapon is permitted there.
If You Shoot a Fish, Can You Throw It Back?
Bowfishing is not catch-and-release fishing. Fish struck by arrows can suffer fatal injuries even if they initially survive.
Texas restricts returning certain edible or bait-usable fish to the water after they are taken with lawful archery equipment. Waste-of-fish laws and disposal requirements vary elsewhere.
If you harvest a fish, handle and dispose of it according to local law. Leaving carcasses floating in a lake or rotting at a boat ramp can create environmental and access problems.
Do You Need a Fishing License to Bowfish?
Often, yes, but not always. Texas generally requires a fishing license for bowfishing in public waters unless an exemption applies. Wyoming allows archery take of nongame fish without a fishing license or permit, while still prohibiting bowfishing for game fish.
The equipment, species, water, and licensing rules all matter.
Where Is Bowfishing Prohibited Even When the State Allows It?
A state may permit bowfishing broadly but close certain waters. Texas, for example, restricts bowfishing in Community Fishing Lakes and certain state-park waters. Other states may close specific spawning areas, impose seasonal restrictions, or limit archery around crowded recreation sites.
Check the exact lake or river regulations, not just the statewide overview.
The Strangest Part: The Method Matters as Much as the Fish
Picture three anglers standing beside the same Texas river. One carries a fishing rod, one a compound bow, and one a rifle.
A legally harvestable largemouth bass swims past. The rod-and-reel angler may catch and keep it subject to limits. The bowfisher cannot legally shoot it because bass are game fish. And a fishing license doesn’t turn a rifle into a legal fishing method.
Replace the bass with a common carp. The rod-and-reel angler can catch it, and the bowfisher may take it where bowfishing is authorized. The rifle still isn’t automatically allowed.
Same river, different species and equipment, different legal results.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it illegal to shoot fish with a gun?
Conventional firearms are generally prohibited as a method of taking fish in many states, including Florida, Wyoming, and Tennessee. Check the rules in the state where you intend to fish.
Is bowfishing legal in all 50 states?
Regulations differ by state, and even where bowfishing is allowed, restrictions can apply to species, equipment, hours, licenses, and individual waters.
Can you shoot carp with a bow?
Common carp are legal bowfishing targets in many states, subject to local rules and special restrictions.
Can you shoot catfish with a bow?
It depends on the state. Maryland authorizes bowfishing for certain catfish species, while other states may regulate catfish differently.
Can you shoot fish with a BB gun or pellet gun?
Don’t assume air guns are exempt. Tennessee specifically prohibits taking fish with air guns. Rules for air-powered arrow devices can be different from those for pellet guns.
Can you shoot fish at night?
Nighttime bowfishing is legal in some jurisdictions, but firearm restrictions, lighting rules, and water-specific closures still apply.
You generally can’t take a rifle to the lake and start shooting fish. But in many places you can use a bow, crossbow, or authorized spear to harvest specific species.
The law can change with the fish, the equipment, the lake, and the time of day. A carp may be legal to take with a bow while a bass swimming right beside it isn’t.
Before taking the shot, know exactly what species you’re looking at and what methods the law allows. Telling a game warden you thought it was legal isn’t much of a defense.
