Warm water fly fishing in Houston, TX area

[Gandolf]

Hi Scubatim,

As mentioned above, there are lots of farm ponds (known in Texas as "Tanks"), but the problem is that in Texas much of the land is leased for hunting and fishing. This is especially the case near the high population areas. In some parts, farmers and ranchers make almost as much leasing the land for hunting as they do from farming.

Of couse you never know until you ask.

Regards,

Gandolf

[EdD]

Ed, Ed, Ed. You ought to be ashamed of yourself!

<snip>
Kirk

What is this "shame" of which you speak?



Ed

[crazy4oldcars]

What is this "shame" of which you speak?



Ed

Scaring that poor feller like that! As long as he's kickin' the bushes as he walks through, he ain't gonna see them snakes!!

Kirk

[Stan Wright]

My brother in Houston told me not to worry about the snakes.... the alligators ate them all.
And I thought that bellowing noise was just big frogs.
Everything in Texas has thorns or teeth. It will eather bite you or stick you.
LOL LOL LOL

[CoachBob]

go to http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/fishboat...ng/index.phtml

Info on public lakes in Austin, Houston, DFW and San Antonio.

[Steve_A]

howdy.

i live in houston and have been doing the urban fly fishing thing...mainly the bayous, drainage 'ditches' and park ponds...for the past couple of years.

i would say the number one attraction (if you don't want to drive 3-5 hours) within the city limits is carp. they are fairly plentiful in the bayous and are definitely the best challenge/fight.

that said, i've caught 2-3lb LMB, ~24" cats, and sunfish too numerous to count (out of the bayous). There is a park (meyer park i believe) up on the N side of town that has double digit LMB in it (FL strain was planted there in the 90's), but casting is a pain (you need to get out about 60 feet to hit the drop off, but there isn't any room to backcast).

if you want to drive a couple hours, this time of year we actually have trout fishing in the hill country...the guad is a tailwater fishery and it stays cool enough to sustain trout...access is the issue there.

check out the bass pro in katy, as well as the FFF chapter here (www.texasflyfishers.org).

[brianakee]

I will also add that the TPWD releases rainbow trout in many ponds across the state. Several of these ponds are in the Houston area. Check out this page for more information:

2009-2010 Trout Stocking Schedule

Sort by County and look at the following counties:
Fort Bend
Galveston
Harris
Brazoria

Some of these places may be a bit of a drive, depending upon what part of Houston you will be working in.

Good Luck!

[brianakee]

BTW, bring warm clothes. It was in the high 70s yesterday.

[flycastinginstructor]

I was just informed by work that I may be heading down to Houston for about a month for work. Anyone with info on good fishing this time of year within a hour or 2 of Houston would be greatly appreciated. Not to worried about species just looking to wet a line. Oh and I love to wade rivers.

Thanks for any help that may come my way.

Salt water might be an option but that would cause me to buy a new rod reel not a total problem

"Houston has a lot of great fresh and saltwater opportunities - if you just stay in the Houston Metro Area you can fish Buffalo Bayou, Simms Bayou and some of slow moving creeks we have here for largemouth, crappie, sunfish and rough fish such as gar and carp. If you travel just 1-hour away you end up in shallow saltwater for redfish and speckled trout which offers great 8-weight action...If you need equipment we have several really good fly shops here too. If you can swing a little less than a 3 hour trip you can fish the Guadalupe River for stocked Rainbows...you will need to purchase access and you can learn more by going to www.grtu.org. However, if you already trout fishing...this time of year is a great time for both fresh and saltwater action....early winter offers great white bass since they are beginning their spawn...so bring your trout rod!

[aged_sage]

As a native Texan, I would like to add a couple of comments about access to waters in the state. Bear in mind that 98% of the land in Texas is privately owned, and that 90% of the remaining 2% is federally owned and sports a military installation of some kind. Most landowners definitely frown on trespassing, and the fines are steep. If you take the time to go to the farm/ranch house and ask permission, occasionally the land owner will grant permission. They are less likely near the major metropolitan areas.

There are three "rod-fee" facilities within an a 90 minute drive of downtown Houston. Columbia Lakes provides a john boat and trolling motor in their fee. Seven Lakes at Damon has one boat for use on each pond, but most fish from the bank. Some of the best fishing there can be in the swimming pool! The third one is The lakes of Danbury. Most of their lakes can easily be fished from shore. The boat house is a great place for some MONSTER bluegill. Their rod fee was a bit pricey. There are several county parks in the area that have nice ponds in them. The Lakes at 610 are public and have real good bass and sunfish populations (they are old borrow pits for fill for overpass ramps on the 610 Loop). There are a couple of municipal parks in Missouri City, a suburb on the southwest side of the city, that get stocked during the winter months with rainbow trout by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Dept., as do most of the county park ponds. One of the members of the Houston club guides on Braes Bayou, which has numerous street crossings in business areas. You park in somebody's parking lot and "go fish". It is a concrete-lined "ditch" that harbors gar, carp, grass carp, sunfish, largemouth bass, Rio Grande Perch, and catfish. Sight casting to carp is not unlike sight casting for bonefish or reds.

There are any number of access points along the western end of Galveston Island where you can access both the bay and the Gulf. Christmas Bay, just across San Luis Pass, is excellent wading water and can produce some nice redfish and speckled trout.

For flyshops, there is the already mentioned Bass Pro Shop in Katy Mills Mall on I-10 west of Houston and the Bass pro Shop in Pearland, a southern suburb. In the city itself are I Fly, The Anglers Edge on Westheimer across from the Galleria, and about a mile west is the Orvis store at Westheimer and Chimney Rock. On I-10 at Campbell is Cut-Rate Sporting Goods. Their main store is located ar I-45 south and Fuqua.

Absent knowing specifically when you will be in Houston, I want to personally invite you to attend our monthly club meeting if things coincide. We meet at 7:00 pm, the last Tuesday of the month in the community center in Bayland Park, located at Bissonett and Hillcroft.

Welcome to Texas!