Fish & Game

Rainbow Trout Fishing: A Texas Winter Tradition

The packages are opened, the parties are over, the decorations are put away for another year, and the reality of winter has set in. Be of good cheer because the cure for the post-holiday blues is to head out to a local water body for the annual Texas winter tradition of rainbow trout fishing.

Starting in late November, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) stocks rainbow trout across the state, continuing through the first week of March. January falls right in the heart of trout stocking season, and it’s the perfect occasion to try out that brand-new fishing pole.

More good news: It doesn’t take a lot of sophisticated fishing equipment to reel in a rainbow trout. They can be caught using simple, light tackle or on hand-tied flies using a fly rod. Anglers should keep an array of baits and lures nearby as well as ice to keep trout fresh.

Because rainbow trout are unable to survive in Texas after winter, anglers are encouraged to keep up to their daily bag limit of five trout. Rainbow trout are an attractive, tasty fish that are easy to clean, and anglers can easily find recipes to prepare them online.

Trout stockings take place at numerous locations in Texas, including dozens of local city- and county-managed park ponds, Texas state parks, and several rivers such as the Frio, South Llano, Guadalupe and Clear Fork of the Trinity.

TPWD’s Neighborhood Fishin’ Program provides a unique experience for families and new anglers to reel in a fish in and around major cities. TPWD manages 18 Neighborhood Fishin’ lakes statewide in most major urban centers, including Amarillo, Austin, the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, Houston, San Angelo, San Antonio and Wichita Falls. These lakes are frequently stocked with rainbow trout during the winter stocking season and offer plenty of amenities so family members of all ages can enjoy a fun and relaxing day fishing and connecting with nature.

In Texas, no fishing license is required for children under 17, but adults must have a fishing license with a freshwater fishing endorsement. An angler fishing in a Community Fishing Lake or from a dock, pier or jetty within a Texas state park may use no more than two poles. The statewide bag limit is five trout with no minimum length limit, except on parts of the Guadalupe River where special limits are in effect.

This winter, get outside and enjoy the annual tradition of rainbow trout fishing at one of the many publicly accessible fishing locations in the great state of Texas.