Winter Offers Great Opportunities to Catch Rainbow Trout




Be sure not to overlook some great angling opportunities in the Brazos River basin during the winter months. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) releases rainbow trout into the Brazos River below Possum Kingdom Lake.

TPWD releases the rainbow trout at more than 100 locations throughout Texas from late December through early March each year. Because the fish thrive only in cold water, they generally do not survive when the weather turns warmer. That means winter offers the only times you can sample this fishery. A total of 287,413 trout are scheduled to be stocked this winter across Texas.

Easy and fun to catch

“The trout are by nature cold weather fish,” said David Collinsworth, regional manager for the Brazos River Authority’s Central and Lower Basin. “They have got to have water that stays below 60 degrees. Trout are really easy to catch and they’re fun to catch. They are also really good table fare.”

For those fishing for trout, there is no minimum length but a limit of five per day for each angler. You will need a $5 freshwater fishing stamp to reel in the trout, but no stamp is required for those younger than 17. Also, licenses and stamps are not required for those fishing in a state park.

TPWD recommends cheese, kernel corn, nightcrawlers, red wigglers, and meal worms as baits. For those who prefer using a lure, they suggest trying a small inline spinnerbait or a spoon.

Where you can find them

The Parks and Wildlife Department recently stocked 1,500 rainbow trout below the Morris Sheppard Dam at Possum Kingdom Lake. Other stockings at that location are scheduled for Feb. 4 and Feb. 25, according to the TPWD website.




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Possum Kingdom Lake Current Weather Alerts

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Possum Kingdom Lake Weather Forecast

Wednesday

Partly Sunny

Hi: 93

Wednesday Night

Mostly Clear

Lo: 71

Thursday

Partly Sunny

Hi: 93

Thursday Night

Chance Rain Showers

Lo: 71

Friday

Chance Thunderstorms

Hi: 91

Friday Night

Partly Cloudy

Lo: 71

Saturday

Partly Sunny

Hi: 93

Saturday Night

Partly Cloudy

Lo: 71


Possum Kingdom Lake Water Level (last 30 days)


Water Level on 9/18: 997.91 (-1.09)



Possum Kingdom Lake

Fishing Report from TPWD (Sep. 17)

FAIR. Water stained; 80 degrees; 1.05 feet below pool. Stripers are slow to fair with live bait in 20-40 feet of water. Put your baits down in areas that you have marked fish recently and slowly move around with your trolling motor. You will bump into smaller schools of fish, but it will take patience while you wait for a bite. Sand bass are still fair to good moving quickly in 5-10 feet of water on main lake points and sand flats. Chrome and white seem to be out producing all other colors. Catfish are still fair to good with shad in 10-20 feet of water fished on the bottom. Baited holes are your best bet to catch numbers but will not produce big fish. Bait with cattle cubes and wait 2-3 hours before fishing. Use punch bait for best results on baited holes. Catfish should be spawning, so expect a slower bite. Water clarity is 2-6 feet of visibility but slowly becoming clearer. Report by TJ Ranft, Ranft Guide Service. The fall transition is in full swing, and fish are on the move! That means staying on top of the bite can be tricky, but the action has been worth the effort. Water temperature is 77 degrees with 3-4 foot visibility. The striper and white bass bite has been strong this week. Fish are stacking up on shallow points in 10–20 feet, with sporadic surface feeding early and late when there’s a little wind. Slab spoons, swimbaits, and downriggers are all producing, so keep a mix of gear ready. The eating size 1–3 pound catfish bite is absolutely on fire. Limits are coming in fast, often within just a few hours, using punch baits and dip baits. For channels and blue catfish baited holes in 20–25 feet near points and flats are paying off. The crappie bite has picked up nicely. Minnows are the go-to in 12–20 feet of water around structures and brush. Largemouth bass are crushing topwater at first light, then shifting to shallow crankbaits around dock legs as the sun climbs. Shaky heads are producing steady catches as well. Once the sun gets higher, a Texas-rigged

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