After fishing for trout in Pennsylvania, Colorado and Montana I thought my trout angling was over when I settled in Texas. About the second winter here, I saw a story about rainbow trout stocking. After a little goggle time, there was a schedule from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. They stock over 250,000 rainbow trout in 125 locations around the state from Dec 11 to Feb 12. These trout are raised in 6 hatcheries around the state and transported in special trailers. This is paid for with the $5 freshwater fishing stamp included on your license.
The largest stocking is in the Guadalupe River below Canyon Lake dam near New Braunfels. They release over 18,000 trout 8 times in Dec thru Feb. This is the only location in Texas that trout will survive year round due to the cold water coming out below the dam. One section of the Guadalupe River is classified as trophy fishing only with an 18 inch size limit. You must use artificial lures only and a one fish bag limit.
One of my favorite streams to fish is the South Llano river state park near Junction. This is a beautiful rocky little river and looks like somewhere in Colorado. Its spring fed with clear sparking water. TP&W stocked it Dec 22 and Feb 1 this year with around 500 trout each time. I love to fish with a fly rod and flies but these hatchery trout were raised on fish pellets mostly and do not hit flies very well. Most people use trout bait like Berkley’s power bait or salmon eggs. A light spinning rod and reel with 4 or 6 pound line works well. A small hook with a split shot about 10 inches above. I found out this year that these little fighters will hit a small silver in-line spinner. They must think it’s a minnow.
The bag limit on rainbow trout is 5 per day and some days you catch them in an hour or so. These trout are fairly small, most are a pound or less but delicious to eat. I fillet them same as a bass then roll in Jiffy corn muffin mix and brown in peanut oil.
If you have never tried trout fishing in Texas, get the TP&W schedule and locate an area near you and give it a try. You will be glad you did.
Pictured above is Mike Corbett of Coleman with a limit of 10 rainbows trout he caught with Russ Porter.
Below are pictures of the TPWD delivery of trout to the South Llano River near Junction.
