Beginning Nov. 30 and continuing through March, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department will stock upwards of 264,000 hatchery-reared rainbow trout at about 100 sites across the state. Many of the fish stockings will be conducted at small community fishing lakes, state park lakes and popular river tailraces offering easy angling access.
TPWD has been stocking rainbow trout each winter since the 1970s, providing Texans a simple and economical opportunity to go fishing.
Catching these hungry fish can be easy, making the experience ideal for both novice anglers and kids. The fish will bite almost immediately after stocking and typically will take a variety of baits, from whole kernel canned corn or commercial soft bait to artificial flies and even small spinner baits.
A list of stocking sites with detailed driving directions is available on the TPWD Web site. The posted stocking dates are the days the trout are available to the general public. Many sites offer special events for youth prior to allowing the public to fish and those are usually the day before. Folks should check with local parks and recreation departments or water authorities for additional information.
While most sites get an annual dose of between 1,000-2,000 trout, popular fishing holes like the Guadalupe River below the Canyon Reservoir Dam, which includes the tailrace, receive multiple stockings from December through March.
As the only fishable place in Texas where rainbow trout can survive during the summer months, the Guadalupe River will get about 17,000 fish, which includes about 5,000 trout donated to TPWD by the Comal County Water Oriented Recreation District.
“The water is low and clear right now, so the wade fishing opportunities should be good as long as we don’t get torrential rains,” said Stephan Magnelia, TPWD fisheries biologist in San Marcos. “If we got any over-summer trout survival, it was in the area close to Canyon Dam, so we’re starting with a clean slate in the lower end. The fish ought to be congregated and once you find them you should be able to catch them fairly easily.”
There are several public access points along the Guadalupe River that have been leased by TPWD specifically for trout fishing. Maps and directions to these sites are available on the TPWD Web site.
Trout anglers (age 17 and up) will need a $5 fishing stamp in addition to the regular fishing license to fish these areas.
For more information about the stockings, visit:
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/troutstocking/
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