Snakes on the bank: staying careful while you fish

Snakes are part of a Texas bank the way rocks and tall grass are. Most of the time you will never see one. Now and then you will, on a gravel trail on a cool, sunny morning, curled in the shade of a log, or swimming past your bobber. A few habits mean that meeting one is a story to tell and not an emergency.

General information from TPWD and the Texas Department of State Health Services, read on the date shown. It is not medical advice, and TexCast is not an emergency or medical service. In an emergency, call 911.

A western diamondback rattlesnake lying in the open on a gravel trail at Joshua Springs Preserve, Comfort. Photo: TexCast.

What you might meet

TPWD counts more than 105 kinds of snakes in Texas, and only 15 of them could be dangerous to people. Texas has two groups of venomous snakes: the pit vipers (rattlesnakes, copperheads and cottonmouths) and the coral snake, according to the state health department. The rest, including the water snakes you see along ponds, lakes and rivers, are harmless.

15: of 105+ Texas snake kinds could be dangerous to people (TPWD)
1 to 2: Texas deaths a year from venomous snake bites, on average (DSHS)
about half: of venomous bites in the U.S. are "dry", with no venom (DSHS)

Those numbers are low, which is a reason to be calm, not careless. A venomous bite is still a medical emergency, and TPWD says the danger comes when a snake is surprised or cornered, which is what happens when you step on, reach toward or pick up one you did not see.

Where they are along a bank

Tall grass and weeds at the water's edge, where TPWD says snakes like to be.
Fallen logs, rock outcroppings and creek banks. TPWD asks you to take care stepping over logs and rocks and along underbrush.
Sun-warmed gravel, trails and rock ledges on a cool morning, where a snake may lie out in the open to warm up, as the rattlesnake above did.
The water itself. Water snakes swim, and some of them will take a lure.

Habits that help

Look before you step, and look before you reach. TPWD's rule is to never put your hands where you cannot see.
Wear closed shoes. The health department adds long pants and boots in areas known to have snakes.
Walk in on the open path, not through the grass, and carry a light after dark.
When a lure hangs up in brush or rocks, do not reach in after it. Cut the line, or move to where you can see what you are reaching for.
Do not step over a log or ledge blind. Step on top of it, or around it, where you can see the far side.
Do not pick up a snake, a dead one included. TPWD notes that dead snakes have been known to bite.

If you meet one

Back away slowly and give it room. TPWD says snakes do not hunt people and will not chase you: they usually retreat or escape if given the chance, and the danger comes when one is surprised or cornered. Leave it a clear path away from you, keep kids and dogs behind you, and fish somewhere else for a while. TPWD also asks you not to kill a snake, even a venomous one.

Telling water snakes from the dangerous ones

Most snakes in the water and on the bank of a Texas lake or river are harmless water snakes. They swim with their heads up, they are often dark or blotched, and some will take a soft plastic bait. But a harmless snake and a cottonmouth can share the same water, and a quick look from a distance is not enough to tell them apart. So give every snake in or near the water the same room, and do not handle it.

Three water snakes

Plain-bellied water snake: Harmless. This one is the blotched or yellow-bellied form, swimming at the surface. Photo: TexCast.
Diamondback water snake: Harmless. A pale, patterned snake, tongue out, swimming along the surface. Photo: TexCast.
A water snake on a worm: A diamondback water snake that took a soft plastic worm. If one does, cut the line well back instead of reaching for it. Photo: TexCast.

The coral snake

A Texas coral snake crossing a dirt trail. Photo: TexCast.

The coral snake is small and slim, usually about two and a half feet or shorter, and it is the state's only member of its family. TPWD describes its rings as broad black, narrow yellow and broad red, with the red rings always bordered by yellow. Several harmless snakes are marked similarly, but never with red touching yellow, according to TPWD. The health department notes that a coral snake does not have to chew to bite. Treat any banded snake as one to leave alone, and never pick one up.

If someone is bitten

Call 911, or the Texas Poison Center Network at 1-800-222-1222. The health department says both can tell you which medical centers have antivenom, and that you should call ahead to the hospital if you can. Then:

Move the person away from the snake, out of its reach, and keep them and yourself calm.
Remove rings, watches and tight clothing quickly, before swelling starts.
Keep the bitten arm or leg level with the heart, and keep it as still as you can. Raising it higher could speed the spread of venom, the department says.
Wash the bite gently with soap and water if you have them.
If you can do it without risk, take a photo of the snake to help the doctors. Do not try to catch it.

The health department lists what not to do: do not suck out venom, cut the bite, apply a tourniquet or tight band, put ice or a cold pack on it, shock it, give pain relievers or other medicine unless a doctor says so, drink alcohol, or try to give antivenom in the field. A bite from a snake you cannot name is a reason to call, not to wait and see.

Keep reading

Agency pages this guide draws on

TPWD: Venomous Snake Safety (checked 2026-11-15)
Texas Department of State Health Services: Snake bites (checked 2026-11-15)

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