17,666 Rainbow Trout Head for Guadalupe

(Editor’s Note: Rainbow trout season ended in May. Click here to read more.)

Canyon Lake anglers will have plenty of cool-weather fishing opportunities to look forward to in the coming months.

Starting Nov. 30 and ending at the beginning of March, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department will stock a total of 322,568 cold weather-loving rainbow trout at ponds, lakes and rivers statewide so that family members of all ages can enjoy the crisp seasonal air and catch a feisty, colorful sport fish for fun or to prepare a tasty meal.

For anglers interested in tailrace fishing, TPWD will be stocking rainbow trout below several dams and spillways, which often have very cool water and provide excellent conditions for trout fishing.

This year, TPWD will stock rainbow trout into the Canyon Tailrace on the Guadalupe River below Canyon Lake, the Lewisville Tailrace located on the Elm Fork of the Trinity River below Lake Lewisville, and the Possum Kingdom Tailrace on the Brazos River below Possum Kingdom Lake.

Some 17,666 rainbow trout will be stocked at Canyon Tailrace on these dates: 12/7/2018, 12/14/2018, 12/21/2018, 12/28/2018, 1/4/2019, 1/11/2019, 1/18/2019, 1/25/2019, 2/1/2019.

To see a map of Guadalupe River-area access points from below Canyon Dam (tailrace) to New Braunfels, click here.

Special limits are in effect on parts of the Guadalupe River.

• 800 yards downstream from Canyon Dam release downstream to east bridge on Hwy 306
  For rainbow and brown trout, length limit is a 12-18 inch slot. Trout 12 inches and less or 18 inches or greater in length may be retained. Daily bag = 5 trout and only one trout 18 inches or longer may be retained. Harvest of trout is by artificial lures only. See Pole and Line for special restrictions on lures in this area.
• From east Hwy 306 bridge crossing downstream to 2nd crossing on River Road
  For rainbow and brown trout, minimum length is 18 inches and daily bag limit is one fish. Harvest of trout is by artificial lures only. See Pole and Line for special restrictions on lures in this area.

Because rainbow trout are unable to survive in Texas after the winter, anglers are encouraged to keep up to their daily bag limit of five trout. Rainbow trout are an attractive, tasty fish found on many restaurant menus, and anglers can easily find recipes to prepare these fish online.

TPWD stocks rainbow trout in approximately 100 locations each winter.

Rainbow trout can be caught on a variety of baits and lures. Depending on an angler’s experience level and interest, they can be caught using simple, light tackle or on hand-tied flies using a fly rod. Other tips to consider when trout fishing include arriving early to stocking sites on stocking days, maintaining a safe and courteous distance from fellow anglers, keeping an array of baits and lures nearby and having ice available when harvesting trout to keep fish fresh.

In Texas, children under 17 fish for free, but a fishing license is required for adults in the family.

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.

For more winter trout stocking program angling tips, to find a rainbow trout fishing location near you, or to find stocking dates visit tpwd.texas.gov/troutstocking.