Lake Travis offers a wide array of fishing opportunities throughout the year. Travis contains about all the major species of Texas. During the year, you can find Largemouth and Guadalupe Bass, Blue, Channel and Flathead catfish, White and Striped Bass, Black and White Crappie and the many different Sunfish species. The sheer size of Lake Travis can be discouraging, but many of your fish finders can navigate you to man-made and natural structures which can yield great results.
Lake Georgetown is much smaller than Travis at about 1,297 acres. It has about the same species as Travis but adds the Hybrid Striped Bass and the Smallmouth Bass. The lake is fed by the North Fork of the San Gabriel River. It has a high density largemouth bass population. Fishing near structure will be very productive.
The Lampasas River offers plenty of opportunity over it’s 75 mile stretch. In it, you will find Largemouth and Guadalupe Bass, White Bass, Blue and Channel Catfish, Common Carp, Smallmouth Bass, and the many species of Sunfish. There are lots of places you can park along the highway and access the River, but be aware of private property and no trespassing signs.
Llano River
The Llano River is now 2nd Place to my favorite river to fish, the Colorado. I absolutely love the Llano River, albeit that it is pretty unforgiving. I’ve always said, probably as many anglers do, you will have your best day or your worst day on the Llano – there isn’t much in between. The Llano can be unforgiving because of it’s granite river bed and I’ve been witness to many of my friends falling and snapping a fly rod. The Llano does not care about you or your angling needs. It will be happy to chew you up and spit you out. Slipping on slick granite seems to hurt more than regular ground – almost like it hits you back. You will find all species in the Llano that you find above. TPWD also stocks trout during the winter months for the enjoyment of anglers. You can also find a healthy population of Rio Grande Cichlids in the Llano.
Colorado River
The Colorado River as of the past couple of years, is my favorite river to fish. It spans some 862 miles all in Texas. It provides many fishing opportunities and many challenges. In many areas of the Colorado, it is absolutely NOT wade-able – it can run very deep. It has been my favorite for a while simply due to the size of fish I’ve been able to catch from it. In the Spring of 2021, I caught my first Striped Bass while fishing the White Bass run. The Stripers have been known to follow the Whites into shallow water spawning grounds. Every now and then, a fly fisherman will get surprised with one.
Guadalupe River
The Guadalupe River runs about 230 miles through Texas. In the Spring and Summer months, it is a popular destination for many Texans seeking a way to cool off from the 100+ temperatures. However, in places that tubers can’t access and during the fall and winter months, you will find many angling opportunities in the Guad. TPWD and Trout Unlimited stock various parts of the Guad during the cooler months with farm raised Rainbow Trout, and in the past, Brown Trout. You will even find me there with TU during those stockings. We have found that some trout can holdover through the hot months in deeper, cooler sections of the river. Along with the Trout, you will find Guadalupe, White, Striped, Smallmouth and Largemouth Bass, Common Carp, Rio Grande Cichlid, Blue, Channel and Flathead Catfish, Freshwater Drum, Blue Tilapia, Alligator and Longnose Gar, Black and White Crappie, and of course all Texas species of Sunfish.
