Rainbow trout are not warm-water fish and can’t survive in the Texas water temperatures of the summer. But, thanks to the controlled environment of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s fish hatcheries, a portion of the fish raised are released each winter into various designated neighborhood lakes, ponds, and rivers across 11 urban areas throughout the state.

Each November, TPWD announces the locations and dates they will be stocking waterways across the state. Trout stocking begins in late November or early December and continues until March.

There is no minimum length limit on trout, but there is a five-trout bag limit. There is a two-pole limit if an angler is fishing from a community fishing lake, a dock, pier, or jetty within a Texas State Park. All anglers need a valid fishing license that includes a freshwater fishing endorsement. Anglers under 17 years of age are not required to have a license.
Some of the stocking dates and locations in the Brazos River basin include: 

Upper Basin (by County, City, Location and Date)

• Baylor- Seymour- Seymour Pond North: 12/11/2022, 1/5/2023, 2/2/2023
• Hale-Hale Center-Caudle: 12/4/2022
• Haskell-Haskell-Haskell City Park Pond: 2/12/2023
• Hockley-Levelland-Breshears Lake: 12/1/2022
• Hockley-Levelland-Lobo Lake: 12/1/2022
• Hutchinson- Stanford- Meredith Stilling Basin: 11/29/2022
• Jack-Jacksboro- Fort Richardson State Park: 12/1/2022, 12/18/2022, 1/22/2023, 2/19/2023
• Johnson-Burleson-Bailey Lake: 12/1/2022, 1/24/2023
• Johnson-Joshua-Joshua City Park Pond: 12/7/2022, 1/15/2023
• Palo Pinto-Graford-Possum Kingdom Tailrace: 12/1/2022, 12/15/2022, 12/29/2022, 1/12/2023, 1/26/2023, 2/9/2023, 2/23/2023
• Taylor-Abilene- Cal Young Park Lake: 11/29/2022, 12/20/2022, 1/11/2023, 2/21/2023
• Taylor-Abilene- Elm Creek Buffalo Wallow: 11/29/2022, 1/11/2023, 2/2/2023, 2/21/2023

Central Basin (by County, City, Location and Date)

• Bell-Belton-Nolan Creek: 12/17/2022, 12/30/2022
• Bell-Harkerheights-Carl Levin City Park Pond: 12/17/2022, 1/11/2023
• Bell-Temple-Miller Park Pond: 12/18/2022, 2/26/2023
• Bosque-Meridian-Meridian Sate Park: 1/12/2023
• Coryell-Copperas Cove-Copperas Cove City: 12/13/2022, 3/5/2023
• McLennan-McGregor-Amsler Park: 12/7/2022, 2/7/2023
• McLennan-Waco-Buena Vista Park Lake: 11/23/2022, 12/9/2022, 12/22/2022, 1/6/2023, 1/20/2023, 2/3/2023, 2/17/2023, 3/3/2023
• Somervell-Glen Rose-Glen Rose Town Lake: 11/29/2022, 1/4/2023
• Somervell-Glen Rose-Paluxy River at Dinosaur Valley State Park: 2/8/2023

Lower Basin (by County, City, Location and Date)

• Brazos-College Station-Central Park Pond #1: 11/23/2022, 12/9/2022, 12/22/2022, 1/6/2023, 1/20/2023, 2/3/2023, 2/17/2023, 3/3/2023
• Brazos-College Station-Cy Miller Pond: 1/18/2023
• Burleson-Somerville-Bluestem Pond: 12/14/2022
• Lee-Somerville-Nails Creek Pond #1: 12/13/2022
• Leon-Centerville-Fort Boggy State Park: 12/12/2022, 2/27/2023
• Limestone-Kosse-Kosse City Park Pond: 12/7/2022, 1/10/2023
• Limestone-Mexia-Springfield: 1/30/2023
• Robertson-Hearne-Hearne Eastside Park Pond (59): 1/18/2023

TPWD plans to stock 336,169 trout across the state of Texas.

For the complete list of dates and locations, go here.