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Fly Fishing in Texas

25 featured rivers, lakes and streams in Texas, each with target species, a hatch chart and a map of nearby access.

Baffin Bay (The Rocks) (Spotted Seatrout, Redfish)
Famous for trophy 'gator' speckled trout and redfish stalking the unique serpulid worm reef formations.
Blanco River (Wimberley) (Guadalupe Bass, Largemouth Bass)
A scenic cypress-lined river that recovers beautifully from floods, offering great wade fishing for bass.
Brushy Creek (Largemouth Bass, Bluegill)
An urban gem near Austin featuring surprisingly clear pools and technical fishing for sunfish and bass.
Calaveras Lake (Redfish, Hybrid Striped Bass)
A unique freshwater destination for power-plant cooled water where you can target hard-fighting red drum in a lake setting.
Christmas Bay (Redfish, Spotted Seatrout, Flounder)
A pristine, motorized-vessel-restricted bay that is a haven for kayak fly anglers seeking tailing redfish in seagrass.
Comal River (Largemouth Bass, Cichlids)
Shortest river in Texas but incredibly clear, offering a unique urban fly fishing experience for warm-water species.
Devils River (Dolan Falls Area) (Smallmouth Bass, Largemouth Bass)
Remote, crystal-clear spring-fed river in the Chihuahuan Desert known for aggressive smallmouth and technical sight casting.
Galveston West Bay (Chocolate Bayou) (Redfish, Flounder)
The marshy edges and oyster reefs provide a complex ecosystem for targeting redfish and flounder on the fly.
Lake Athens (Largemouth Bass, Bluegill)
Famous for its massive hydrilla beds and clear water, making it a premier destination for sight-casting to trophy largemouth.
Lake Buchanan (Upper Colorado Arm) (Striped Bass, White Bass)
The river-to-lake transition zone offers prime spring runs of white bass and striped bass on the fly.
Lampasas River (Guadalupe Bass, Largemouth Bass)
A limestone-bottomed river providing excellent wading opportunities for native bass and oversized sunfish.
Lighthouse Lakes (Redfish, Spotted Seatrout)
Extensive black mangrove channels and shallow flats near Port Aransas designed for paddle-craft fly fishing.
Llano River (Castell) (Guadalupe Bass, Largemouth Bass)
Classic Hill Country fly fishing over granite slabs for the state fish, the Guadalupe Bass.
Lower Laguna Madre (East Flats) (Redfish, Tarpon, Spotted Seatrout)
Immense sand flats with gin-clear water, often compared to the Bahamas for redfishing and seasonal tarpon.
Mad Island Marsh (Redfish, Flounder)
Isolated and wild marsh system perfect for targeting redfish deep in the grass and cordgrass shorelines.
Nighthawk Bay (Redfish, Spotted Seatrout)
A remote portion of the Upper Laguna Madre known for very shallow water and extremely spooky trophy redfish.
Nueces River (Camp Wood) (Guadalupe Bass, Largemouth Bass)
The 'Swiss Alps of Texas' features turquoise waters and gravel bars ideal for wading and targeting Guadalupe Bass.
Paluxy River (Smallmouth Bass, Largemouth Bass)
Famous for dinosaur tracks, it also offers excellent winter and spring fly fishing for smallmouth and sunfish in clear pools.
Pedernales River (Falls Area) (Largemouth Bass, Guadalupe Bass)
Dramatic limestone drops and deep pools harbor aggressive bass that love large streamers and poppers.
Pringle Lake (Redfish, Spotted Seatrout)
A shallow backcountry lake within the Matagorda Island complex known for massive schools of redfish.
Sabine Pass (Jetties) (Redfish, Bluefish, Jack Crevalle)
High-energy saltwater interface where fly fishers can target bull reds, Spanish mackerel, and even jack crevalle.
San Marcos River (Lower) (Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Guadalupe Bass)
A fast-flowing, spring-fed river offering excellent topwater action for bass and various sunfish species in lush vegetation.
Shamrock Island Flats (Redfish, Spotted Seatrout)
Located in Corpus Christi Bay, these grass flats are a classic destination for fly anglers chasing tailing reds.
South Bay (Brownsville) (Redfish, Snook, Spotted Seatrout)
Texas's southernmost lagoon, offering shallow clear-water flats perfect for sight-casting to redfish and the occasional snook.
Trinity River (Below Lake Livingston) (Striped Bass, Alligator Gar)
A gritty tailwater fishery where fly anglers can target prehistoric Alligator Gar and striped bass.

Fly Fishing in Texas

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