Great Places to Fly Fish in Texas

Sunday Morning Chat

Texas offers a variety of excellent fly fishing opportunities, with numerous rivers, lakes, and coastal areas to explore. Here are some of the best places to fly fish in Texas:

1. Guadalupe River: Known as one of the best places for fly fishing in Texas, the Guadalupe River is famous for its rainbow and brown trout. It’s particularly popular in the winter months when the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department stocks the river with trout. You can find both public access points and private fishing resorts along the river.
2. Llano River: The Llano River, located in the Texas Hill Country, is known for its pristine waters and a healthy population of Guadalupe bass, which is a native Texas species. You can also find sunfish and largemouth bass in this river.
3. South Padre Island: The coastal waters around South Padre Island offer excellent fly fishing opportunities for species like redfish, speckled trout, snook, and tarpon. You can fish from the shore or hire a guide to take you on a boat for an offshore adventure.
4. Devils River: The Devils River, one of the most remote and pristine rivers in Texas, is home to some trophy-sized smallmouth bass. Access to the river can be challenging, so be prepared for a wilderness experience and check for any permit requirements.
5. Pedernales River: This Hill Country river is known for its limestone bottom and clear water. It’s a great spot for fly fishing for Guadalupe bass, sunfish, and largemouth bass. There are several parks along the river that offer access for anglers.
6. Lake Fork: Lake Fork is famous for its largemouth bass, and fly anglers can have success here targeting these trophy-sized fish. This East Texas reservoir is known for producing some of the biggest bass in the state.
7. Baffin Bay: Located along the Texas Gulf Coast, Baffin Bay is a prime spot for fly fishing for speckled trout and redfish. The shallow flats and grassy areas make it a fly angler’s paradise.
8. Canyon Lake: Canyon Lake, in the Texas Hill Country, offers fly fishing opportunities for various species, including bass, sunfish, and catfish. The clear waters and scenic surroundings make it a popular choice.
9. Lake Texoma: This massive reservoir on the Texas-Oklahoma border is known for its striped bass fishing. Fly anglers can target stripers here, especially in the spring and fall.
10. Colorado River (Texas): The Texas stretch of the Colorado River offers fly fishing for a variety of species, including white bass, largemouth bass, and catfish. Look for access points in the Hill Country and downstream areas.

Before you go fly fishing in Texas, make sure to check the fishing regulations, obtain any necessary permits or licenses, and consider hiring a local guide for a better experience, especially if you’re new to the area or fly fishing in general. Additionally, be aware of any seasonal changes and weather conditions that may affect your fishing plans.

There you go! Another blast of information that has some color and character to it – that I do not necessarily bring to the digital print page! You can see the “weight” it puts on the Central Texas area, and that is probably because the truth is, as I have said before, Austin and that general area IS THE CENTER of fly fishing in Texas. It is what it is.

Thanks for showing up for another Sunday Morning Chat, and be sure to check in tomorrow morning for the Monday Morning Sidewalk, a column that has been around for several years now. We can finally look ahead as the oven heat has been turned down a notch in North Texas!

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Category: Adventure, Destination Fly Fishing, Next Generation, Writing