Fishing for stocked rainbow trout

Every winter, Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPWD) stocks rainbow trout in community ponds and lakes, and a lot of families catch their first fish there. Stocked trout are one of the easiest fish in Texas to get started on, as long as you keep everything light and simple. This guide is only about those stocked rainbows. It leans on TPWD's own angling tips, and it marks which numbers are TPWD's and which parts are our description of common technique.

What a stocker is

TPWD says the rainbow trout it stocks are produced out of state, delivered to its hatcheries and prepared there, then stocked on a schedule. At the hatchery they are raised on prepared feed pellets. TPWD says stocked fish average 10 to 12 inches in Texas waters.

Rainbows are a cool- to cold-water fish. TPWD says they do best where the water stays below 70°F, and that in Texas the heat prevents them from reproducing or from living through the summer in most places. That is why the fishery is a winter "put-and-take": fish are put in, anglers take them, and the pond or lake goes back to warm-water fish by summer. TPWD notes that some trout may survive in the cooler tailrace water below big dams, such as below Canyon Reservoir. Try the water temperature drawing to see where that 70°F line sits.

An interactive drawing goes here in the app.

Light and simple gear

TPWD's main advice is to keep it simple and light. It says trout are sight predators, so heavy line, big snap swivels, big weights, wire leaders and big hooks in clear water may spook them, and that these things are the kind used in saltwater. Its gear suggestions are:

An interactive drawing goes here in the app.

Rigging it

TPWD shows three simple rigs: split shot (with a bobber above it if you want to set a depth), egg sinker, and drop sinker. Build each one below and see what the hook size and a bobber change. For tying the hook on, TPWD's tips page shows the Palomar and the improved clinch. When the trout are in still water and you want to use a floating dough bait, the PowerBait-style rig and the float rig cards in Tackle & Lures show how.

An interactive drawing goes here in the app.

Trout can see the hook and line. Pick the smallest hook that holds your bait, leave the point showing, and tie it on with a knot you trust.

Bait or lure

TPWD says anything that looks like what rainbows eat in the wild or in the hatchery tends to work. Its list of baits is kernel corn, cheese balls, salmon eggs, wigglers, cut nightcrawlers, manufactured trout bites or nibbles, crickets, mealworms and dough bait. For lures it lists inline spinners, spoons, curly tail jigs or grubs, bucktail jigs, swim shads and tiny crankbaits. Because stocked fish average 10 to 12 inches and eat small prey, TPWD says small lures made for ultra-light gear are the most efficient. Bait is a patient way to fish; lures cover more water when the fish are moving. Try both in the drawing.

An interactive drawing goes here in the app.

A plan for stocking day

For more on trout methods in Texas, including rivers and fly fishing, see the Trout & Fly guide in Tackle & Lures.

Rules and keeping your fish

TPWD's 2025-2026 schedule page says there is no minimum length and a daily bag of 5 trout, and that a valid fishing license with a freshwater endorsement is needed unless an exception applies. Check TPWD for the current season before you go.

An interactive drawing goes here in the app.

Parts of the Guadalupe River below Canyon Dam have special rules. TPWD says trout kept there must be caught on artificial lures, with a 12-to-18-inch slot limit in the upper section. Read TPWD's Guadalupe page before you fish it.

This is a summary of what TPWD's pages say, not legal advice. TPWD and the Texas statutes and rules decide what applies to you.

TPWD recommends keeping the catch fresh on ice, and its tips page has simple cleaning steps. If you plan to let a fish go, handle it as little as you can and keep it in the water while you take out the hook.

Sources

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