by John Jefferson
A friend used to drive from Texas to Colorado to trout fish. Lots of people do.
I asked him if he’d ever fished the Canyon Lake Dam tailrace on the Guadalupe River. He said no, he’d rather fish in Colorado. Understandably. Especially during the summer. But Colorado is over a thousand miles away for many Texans. Canyon Dam is closer. And the river below the dam somewhat resembles Colorado with its cold rapids, tumbling waters, and hilly terrain.
My friend argued that he’d rather fish for bigger fish than small hatchery-raised trout on the Guadalupe. His biggest Colorado catch, which he had mounted, was 13-inches-long. My largest from the Guadalupe measured 14-inches. And many Colorado trout are also hatchery-raised.
The first stocking on the Guadalupe was done by Lone Star Beer in 1966. The brewery had trout left over from a boat show and got TPWD’s permission to release them into the river. TPWD liked the success of the Guadalupe stocking and decided to stock other sites. Now, over 300,000 rainbows are stocked in more than 150 sites each winter, including many state parks, Neighborhood Fishing Lakes, and Community Lakes.
Bait tips and a complete list of stocking sites can be found at the TPWD website: www.tpwd.texas.gov/troutstocking. The creel limit is five trout per day. There is no length limit. Unless you are fishing in a state park, adults must have a fishing license and a $5 Freshwater Fishing Stamp which is included in all freshwater license packages. Anglers under 17 are exempt from license and stamp requirements but must abide by the five fish limit. Bank fishing is possible.
These waters warm as winter turns to spring and then summer. Most trout don’t survive in the warmer water. Therefore, TPWD encourages all anglers to keep the limit of five fish and enjoy good eating. I drove up from South Texas to attend a San Antonio conference, once, packed my sleeping bag and trout tackle, and drove to Canyon Dam afterwards. Arising the next morning, I caught a two-trout breakfast and was frying them over an open fire when a TPWD employee doing an angler survey strolled into my campsite. He commented that it looked like a scene from a movie, and we became good friends.
In addition to the TPWD stockings, the Guadalupe River Chapter of Trout Unlimited (GRTU) stocks trophy-size rainbows 18-20-inches in length in a restricted stretch of the river starting 800 yards downstream from the dam. That area is marked and is subject to particular regulations concerning tackle and bag limits. See TPW Outdoor Annual. Much of the adjoining land is private property but access to the riverbank is possible through membership in GRTU and its lease access program.
Guides work the river in inflatable rafts, and Gruene River Company in Gruene and Living Waters Fly Fishing in Round Rock can help contact one.
The annual TroutFest in Canyon City has been cancelled for 2021, but Abilene is conducting a trout contest Dec. 5-15. Visit www.abilenetx.gov for details.
JJ
