Area anglers towait for rainbow stockings
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department began stocking rainbow trout Wednesday as part of its annual efforts to increase winter fishing opportunity across the state. The agency is set to stock more than 330,000 rainbows by early March.
Some Houston-area anglers, however, will have to wait a little longer.
Mild temperatures have delayed the first stockings at Burke-Crenshaw Lake in Pasadena, Herman Little Pond in Spring, Mary Jo Peckham Park in Katy and Missouri City’s Community Park Lake until Dec. 4. According to Carl Kittel, who heads Texas’ rainbow trout stocking program, TPWD aims to stock the cold-water fish when the water temperature is below 70 degrees.
Those four sites will have stockings every two weeks as part of the Neighborhood Fishin’ program, which provides fishing access near major cities. During the summer, the state’s 18 Neighborhood Fishin’ lakes and ponds a restocked every two weeks with channel catfish. When winter comes, the stockings switch to trout. More than 9,300trout are scheduled to be stocked across those four locations.
The Neighborhood Fishin’ program is only the beginning when it comes to rainbow trout access for Houston. Alice Best, TPWD’s College Station-Houston fisheries district supervisor, said her office will stock 37 locations in the Houston area.
“TPWD and partner-purchased trout will total over 50,000 fish, so there will be plenty of trout fishing available to anglers,” Best said.
Best added the fewer trees at Bane Park Lake, Eisenhower Park Pond and Sheldon State Park’s Children’s fishing pond will be more conducive for fly anglers.
The inland fisheries division selects water bodies to stock with both fish and angler in mind. Best said TPWD tries to choose ponds that are at least 5 feet deep to give the rainbows a better shot at surviving warm spells. She said the department also selects smaller ponds as trout will take refuge in the center of larger ones, out of casting range.
“We choose park ponds that have high levels of fishing activity, good bank or pier access, ones that are historically popular or are planning to host a fishing event for the public,” Best said.
Kittel added many public events, like fishing tournaments, have been canceled due to COVID-19 but that fish would still be placed in the respective water bodies. He was pleased with the number of fish that were purchased despite the economic hardships of the pandemic.
Cal Young Park in Abilene will be stocked with 1,750 rainbows ahead of a “virtual” Trout Fest 2020. Anglers must scan a QR code on the signs at the park to register for the tournament, and catches must be photographed next to a measuring device. TPWD urges anglers to practice social distancing while enjoying the outdoors.
Texas is considered a put-and-take fishery when it comes to rainbow trout. Because these fish can’t survive the heat that comes with spring, TPWD encourages anglers to fulfill the daily limit of five fish.
The only self-sustaining population of rainbow trout in Texas is in McKittrick Canyon, near the New Mexico border in Guadalupe Mountains National Park, where the high elevation suits the fishes’ temperature needs. Angling isnot allowed there, though.
The centerpiece of Texas trout fishing is the Guadalupe River, the southernmost freshwater trout fishery in the U.S. Its cold-water discharge from the Canyon Lake dam makes it an ideal place to trout fish.
TPWD is set to stock the Canyon tailrace of the Guadalupe River with nearly 21,000 fish over nine stockings from Dec. 4-Jan. 29. Those stockings will occur at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Guadalupe Park, Whitewater Camp, 4th Crossing, 3rd Crossing and Camp Huaco Springs. Additionally, Guadalupe River State Park in Spring Branch will get 1,500 rainbows Jan. 9.
Trout Unlimited’s Guadalupe River Chapter will have its own stockings this season, which will include brown trout as well as rainbows.
Free public access can be found year-round at Guadalupe Park and Camp Huaco Springs from Dec. 7-March 7 except Feb. 21-24. Several camps and resorts offer paid access, and GRTU has an annual lease program for its members. That program is extremely popular and sold out within a day this year.
The river has two zones subject to special regulations and artificial lures only. Zone 1 has a 12-18-inch slot limit and a daily bag limit of five fish with only one 18 inches or longer. Zone 2 has an 18-inch minimum size limit and a one-fish daily limit. TPWD also has the map on its website of the Guadalupe River zones.
Outside of the special regulations on the Guadalupe River, the statewide daily bag limit of five has no minimum size restrictions.
Anglers 17 and older are required to have a fishing license with a freshwater endorsement unless within a state park, which is free. Rainbow trout will be stocked in 15 state parks.
Check TPWD’s website to find nearby locations and the stocking schedule.