I'm just curious as to whether or not fishing spots that claim to be catch and release only actually have the right to enforce that rule. I fish in a lake that's shared by an HOA and a farmhouse and while I can't find anything that says its strictly catch and release it seems like the sort of place that would be and I don't want to get in trouble lol. I'm obviously not going to go crazy and over fish, but every now and then I like to keep what I catch.

Private lakes can set their own rules but its not an actual law.

You should be pretty careful about what ponds you keep fish from anyway. If there is not a pretty decent flow rate of water coming in and water moving out then you probably don't want to eat the fish out of it.

Now that mention it, Paradise Canyon on the Medina river say their bass are catch and release only.. It's a public river??

Private waters can stipulate C&R, you pay and play by their rules. But for public water, C&R is on the honor system, and it's for everyone's benefit.

I've heard of HOAs and such issuing trespass warnings on people who violate C&R on private ponds.

MoutIn creek lake is C&R only. You will receive a ticket if you have any fish in your position unless something has changed. That's a health reason for the ban

Always ask upfront if you are fishing someone else's property. Many private ponds need thinned out of smaller bass and you would be doing a service to take a mess of 12 inch bass.