Texas students in kindergarten through 12th grade can combine art, writing and an interest in the outdoors through the 2027 Texas Fish Art Contest.
The Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens is accepting digital entries through Feb. 28, 2027. The annual contest is part of an international conservation education program designed to encourage young people to learn about fish, aquatic habitats, fisheries and fishing.
Students must submit an original two-dimensional illustration of a species included on the contest’s approved freshwater or saltwater fish lists. Artwork must be scanned and submitted digitally with a completed online entry form.
Contest divisions include:
-Kindergarten
-Grades 1-3
-Grades 4-6
-Grades 7-9
-Grades 10-12
Students in grades 4-12 must also submit a one-page creative writing composition related to their chosen fish. Each student may submit only one entry per year.
Educators submitting entries for multiple students may use the contest’s group entry form.
American Eel Selected as Special Species
The American eel has been selected for the 2027 Special Species Award, which highlights a particular fish species or group of species each year.
One winner will be selected from all qualifying American eel entries and recognized by the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center. To be considered, the student’s artwork must be correctly labeled, and the fish must be identifiable as an American eel. No additional paperwork is required.
Information about the species is available through the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s American eel fact sheet.
Awards and National Competition
Texas winners will receive scholarship investments, have their artwork displayed at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center and be invited to a family fishing celebration recognizing their achievements. Winning artwork also will be included in the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Fish Art Contest Flickr album.
State winners will automatically advance to Wildlife Forever’s national Fish Art Contest.
Texas students may enter national specialty categories featuring fish that are not found in Texas. However, because students are limited to one entry, artwork featuring an ineligible Texas species cannot compete for a state award.
Texas Contest Celebrates 20 Years
The Texas division will mark its 20th anniversary in 2027. The program was brought to the state through the efforts of conservation leader Richard M. “Dick” Hart, who supported fishing, conservation and educational programs at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center.
Hart believed educators played an important role in encouraging conservation among young people. The national Richard M. Hart Educator of the Year Award was established in 2022 to recognize educators who inspire future stewards of the outdoors. Educators from across the country may be nominated for the honor.
The Texas Fish Art Contest is coordinated by the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center and sponsored nationally by Wildlife Forever and several conservation and outdoor organizations. Statewide support is provided by the Friends of the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center.
Entry forms, eligible species lists, contest rules and submission guidelines are available on the Texas Fish Art Contest website. Additional updates are available through the Texas Fish Art Program Facebook page.
