Trout stocking has gotten complicated with all the regulations and timing details flying around. As someone who’s chased stocked rainbows across Texas for the better part of a decade, I learned everything there is to know about winter trout fishing. Today, I will share it all with you.
Texas Parks and Wildlife just dumped 50,000 rainbow trout into Lake Whitney this week. That’s not a typo—fifty thousand fish. This marks the largest single release in the lake’s entire history, and I’ve been watching these stockings since they started the program back in the early 2000s.
Probably should have led with this section, honestly. The fish averaged 10-12 inches, with some pushing 14 inches. Those bigger ones will fight like hell on light tackle. I’ve seen guys lose fish twice this size because they were spooled on 4-pound test.
Your best shots at these stocked trout are the marina area, the fishing pier, and those rocky points near the dam. PowerBait works because these fish just came from hatchery pellets—they’re programmed to hit that stuff. Small spinners work well too, especially gold or silver Panther Martins in the 1/8-ounce range.
Water temperature sits right at 52°F, which is basically trout heaven. They’ll be active all day in temps like this, not just during the magic hour. The lake stays open for fishing 24 hours during stocking season, so night fishing is absolutely on the table if you can stand the cold.
That’s what makes trout stocking endearing to us anglers—it brings legitimate cold-water fishing to waters that normally wouldn’t support it. Kids can catch their first fish, and experienced anglers can scratch that trout itch without driving to Colorado.
Additional stockings are planned for February and March, so this isn’t a one-and-done situation. Mark your calendar and get out there before the crowds figure it out.
