Texas provides a bountiful variety of both freshwater and saltwater fish for recreational and sport fishing. Speckled, rainbow and brown trout are three such popular species to fish. The speckled trout limit in Texas is five fish measuring between 15 and 25 inches per day.
The brown/rainbow trout limit in Texas is five fish from either or both species combined (not each) per day. This includes no length limit. The Texas Park and Wildlife Department upholds these regulations.
Is There Native Trout in Texas?
The Gulf of Mexico, where native speckled trout can be found
The speckled trout, a saltwater species, is native to the Gulf of Mexico which abuts Texas’ southeastern border. However, freshwater trout species native to the Texas area rarity, and in fact, the only one to exist is the Rio Grande cutthroat trout.
The only population of these that can be found today is the Guadalupe Mountains bordering New Mexico is a small stream called McKittrick Creek. In 1966, brown and rainbow trout were introduced to Texas in the Guadalupe River after the construction of Canyon Dam and now supports a healthy enough population to attract thousands of trout anglers every year.
Where Are Trout Found in Texas?
Lake Travis, Texas
Freshwater trout species are stocked by local hatcheries in cooperation with the Texas Park and Wildlife Department every year in rivers, lakes, and ponds all over the state of Texas including major lakes such as Lake Meredith in Sanford, Lake Corpus Christi in Corpus Christi, and Lake Travis in Hudson Bend.
Saltwater trout species can be found in the shallow grassy areas along the shoreline in Texas coastal waters. For open water areas, they prefer places of refuge such as oyster reefs or old gas wells. They can be found up and down the coast of eastern Texas from Port Arthur to Port Isabel.
Need to grab a fishing license before you go? Check out our article.
