The people who like fly fishing would love to have a job for which being “gone fishing” all day is just as the job description. Doing fly fishing can be both relaxing and invigorating.
In Texas, you have the ability to fish on rivers, bays, lakes, and even saltwater flats for a really unique experience.
The state offers over 80,000 miles’ worth of water for you to explore. In the lakes category alone, there are many that are popular with anglers.
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Fly fishing for many people is about getting on the water and connecting with nature and the creatures that live within. Fly fishing allows people to see things from another view.
What a lot of people see when looking into still water is a reflection, but what some people see is much more than that. There are lots of various types of water in Texas to interest every skill level. The favorite species are as different as the people fishing for them.
In Texas you’re dealing with a state as massive and diverse, it can be hard to decide where to start. There are just so many great rivers, lakes, streams, creeks, and bays to choose from.
Of course, that’s not even including the saltwater shorelines of the Texas State. Really, there is a lot of places you’ll need to visit a number of times in order to truly get the enjoyment of what it offers for fly fishing.
So let’s take a look at just a few of the most popular lakes, and rivers for fly fishing. Keep in mind these are just some of the places to fish in this state.
Lake Anahuac
Lake Anahuac is part of a wildlife safe haven along the Texas coastline, situated in the east of the city 45 miles away. Anahuac Lake is one of the few places with access to both saltwater and freshwater fishing.
The lake is full of largemouth bass, white crappie, black drum, and flounder.
There are some fishing spots around Lake Anahuac. The spots include islands, bays, points, shoals, and other water features where fish will assemble and fishermen can access either with boats or from shore.
Lake Anahuac in Texas is a great place for fly fishing to try to land that monster fish. Lake Anahuac includes Cove, Old River-Winfree, and Beach City.
If you don’t get satisfied with Lake Anahuac, there are also various rivers, creeks, and streams close to the lake.
Some of these are Turtle Bayou, Old River, Whites Bayou, Trinity River, Spring Branch, Cow Island Bayou, Crooked Bayou, Cotton Bayou, Lost River, and Spinks Creek.
Lake Conroe
Lake Conroe is situated about 40 miles north of Houston. The leading spot for fly fishing. Conroe Lake is known for fish that grow to epic proportions.
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has recorded a largemouth bass weighing close to 16 pounds. Did you know that in 2016, a large 52-inch blue catfish was caught (and released)? So head up north and you may just make Texas fishing history!
The following fishing opportunities are available on Lake Conroe,
The Stubblefield Lake is located on the north end of Lake Conroe. This area has a lot of bank fishing and they should be able to catch whites and crappie now.
Coming from Friendswood people would exit at New Waverly and go west until they came to Stubblefield Lake Road and turn right.
On Lake Conroe Points, flats next to channels, drop-offs, and humps are all good locations for crappie.
September through May is the best months to catch largemouth bass and crappie. Catfish bite all year long.
During the spring and summer months, Bluegill is the easiest fish to catch, while white/hybrid striped bass bites are most frequently found from November through March.
Devils River
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The Devils River is famous among Fly Anglers in Texas. It’s an awfully beautiful river filled with large and catchable bass.
Located in the southern part of the state, Devils River doesn’t appear to belong in the desert. It’s spring-fed and crystal clear. The bass is shocking and is a wonderful challenge to try and catch.
The Devils River has pockets, fast-moving water, and deep pools. Fly anglers can really test their skills on this river.
This river is only 94 miles long, but it offers a nice amount of seclusion for fly anglers looking to escape the traditional Texas waters.
On top of the bass, people can try their hand at catching carp on the fly. These fish are extremely difficult to catch and always present a challenge.
The Devils River is one of the rockiest and clean and tidy rivers in Texas state. Very few people get to experience the extraordinary fishing and scenery because of the secured access.
The Devils River begins its route near Ozona and Sonora, Texas. It is wet weather drainage on the upper end with no permanent pools.
Blanco River
It easily can be said that Texas is the ideal target for winter fly fishing because there are just so many places that are perfect for this.
The Blanco River is another good area for fly fishing that is open all winter. However, it is open in the summer also but the warmer season tends to be pretty crowded.
Another thing you should know about this fishing area is that you would be better off casting your line from the shore.
Because there are many dams scattered along the length of the river that won’t allow proper boating. Smallmouth bass is also present in large numbers as well as largemouth bass and pan-fish.
The Blanco River is much friendlier than the Devils River. You’ll be able to get fly fishing this river from shore and have plenty of access. Being that it is Blanco River, you’ll find pan-fish, as well as small and largemouth bass. This river is wide open all year for fishing, but in summer it is very busy.
River water is fairly clear during the non-rainy seasons so anglers are going to need to practice their long casts before their trip to the Blanco. These fish will spook, but the amount of cut banks available to fish is amazing.
There are plenty of access points on the Blanco River. However, there are residential areas that line the river and people must stay off of the river banks in Texas. If you are a fly fisherman that has a float tube or kayak, the Blanco River is a great place to bring them.
Blanco State Park is the best fishing point along the Blanco River. Anglers don’t need a license to fish from the shore at this beautiful park.
They can fish for largemouth and Guadalupe bass, channel catfish, sunfish, and rainbow trout.
When available, people can even rent some rods and reels from the park.
Lampasas River
Lampasas River is located in Hamilton County’s west-end. Anglers will find that the banks along this river are quite thick with plants, and the surrounding area is rolling and filled with hills.
Lampasas River is a great place for fly fishing. The Lampasas River comes out of Stillhouse Hollow Lake and travels west. The Lampasas River has many smaller streams feeding it which helps produce plenty of shallow runs and nice pools.
The river is best fished when the water temperature is not too hot, less than 80 degrees is preferable. It also is best for fishing when the water flows have been consistent, like so many other streams.
Most of the year, the water level is quite low, the river is narrow in most spots, and people will find that many areas have low-hanging tree branches. Keeping these factors in mind is important when choosing which fly rod to use.
This particular river is found in northern Texas and is filled with sunfish, perch, and smallmouth bass. The Lampasas River is a local favorite and it offers up some nice fishing.
In the summer there is quite hot, so you may want to hit the stream in the morning or early evenings. Winter fishing can also be a nice relief from the heat, and anglers may end up catching bigger fish also. Again, you can fish year-round on this river.
The Guadalupe River
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The Guadalupe River is known as the number one spot for Texas. In winter The Guadalupe River is ideal for fishing. the fishing is good from the end of November until May.
The thing that’s great about the Guadalupe River is that while many other rivers are open in summer, you know that you can count on the Guadalupe River to continue your love for fly fishing all over the year.
The most popular fish on the Guadalupe River is Trout, which is no surprise, seeing how its open season lasts through the winter and covers the early part of spring, as well.
There are many other surprises for you, though, especially if you never traveled to the Guadalupe River. One is that the eye-catching scenery makes this river appear as if it belongs in a tropical rainforest and not Central and Southern Texas.
The Pedernales River originates from springs in southeastern Kimble County and flows into the Colorado River after a little over 100 miles.
As with other rivers in the Texas state, the Pedernales River can be flat and prone to flash flooding, so it’s best to plan a bit ahead.
Pedernales Falls State Park is one of the best places to fish on the Pedernales River. Enjoy the scenery of the cascading, sparkling water and exposed limestone as you cast your line for catfish, bass, sunfish, and carp.
Final Thoughts in the State of Texas Fall bass fishing can typically run as late as mid-December. So long as water temperatures stay warmer (somewhere above 65 degrees) anglers will have active fish.
But once there is a series of strong fronts or one good front where temperatures drop to near freezing the bass will start to move off the shallow structure that makes them more available for fly anglers.
Once this takes place, switching from a floating line to a sink tip or intermediate line will enable fly fishermen to get deeper into these fish but makes casting and fly placement more difficult.
One upside to the end of the fall bass season is that the transition into the winter trout season on the Guadalupe is almost immediate.