Wildlife advisory for Clear Lake follows capture of 13-foot alligator in Nassau Bay
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) has issued an alligator advisory for the Clear Lake area and the Upper Texas Gulf Coast, urging residents and visitors to exercise extra caution around waterways, bayous and lakes after a 13-foot alligator was removed from Nassau Bay on July 10.
The Nassau Bay Volunteer Fire Department posted on social media that crews, with authorization from TPWD, captured the large reptile along Upper Bay Road. Volunteers from Bayou City Gator Savers secured the animal and it was later relocated to an alligator farm in El Campo.
"With the authorization from TPWD, a very large alligator was removed from the area along Upper Bay Rd. in Nassau Bay on Friday evening," the Nassau Bay Volunteer Fire Department wrote on social media.
Residents reported prior sightings. One tenant, identified as Larissa Ann, said her apartment complex notified residents on June 24 about alligator reports near the bay. Ann watched the capture and praised the crew's handling of the animal.
"It was a beautiful animal which I had never seen up close. They handled it very well, never wanting to harm or hurt him," Ann said.
TPWD notes that while the peak mating season for American alligators generally runs from March through May, alligators remain active throughout the summer months. That continued activity, coupled with recreational use of Clear Lake and nearby waterways, heightens potential encounters.
- Advisory area: Clear Lake, Upper Texas Gulf Coast, including Nassau Bay and surrounding peninsula.
- Recent action: 13-foot alligator captured in Nassau Bay and relocated to El Campo.
- Safety guidance: Exercise caution near water, keep pets and small children away from shorelines, and report large alligator sightings to TPWD or local authorities.
Local officials said the capture team initially attempted to move the gator by pulling it with a truck but changed methods after realizing the approach stressed the animal’s neck; crews instead guided it to a pier and onto a dock before transport.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| June 24, 2026 | Complex emails residents of alligator reports near the bay |
| July 8, 2026 | TPWD issues alligator advisory for Clear Lake area |
| July 10, 2026 | 13-foot alligator removed from Upper Bay Rd., Nassau Bay |
For Harris County and surrounding municipalities, the advisory underscores an ongoing public-safety task: balancing wildlife management with dense residential and recreational use of coastal waterways. Clear Lake is a hub for boating and waterfront living; encounters with large alligators pose risks to shore-based activities, pets and small children.
TPWD and local responders typically relocate large nuisance alligators rather than euthanize them when possible, moving them to permitted facilities. Residents who see alligators that pose an immediate threat are advised to contact local authorities; nonurgent sightings should be reported to TPWD so specialists can evaluate and, if necessary, arrange removal.
Officials emphasize vigilance over the coming weeks as warm-season activity continues. The advisory aims to reduce dangerous interactions while allowing wildlife managers to respond effectively in populated sections of the Houston-area bay and lake system.
