Rainbow trout release set for Burnet park Jan. 4
Anglers angling for rainbow trout can cast their lines from the shoreline of Hamilton Creek Park in Burnet beginning Jan. 4, when the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department will release 750 trout into the creek. The department stocks fish across Texas, including in Burnet County.
Other nearby locations for rainbow trout stocking are the Llano River at FM 2389 on Feb. 3 and South Llano River State Park on Feb. 9.
To catch rainbow trout, the best baits are cheese, kernel corn, or red wigglers, nightcrawler, and mealworms. If you prefer to use a lure, a small inline spinnerbait or a spoon might work, according to the TPWD.
Because rainbow trout is a cold water fish, it will only be available through early spring. Those that aren’t caught will not survive the warm waters of a Texas summer.
The last time Hamilton Creek Park was stocked with rainbow trout was December 2012.
To legally fish in Texas:
- anglers need a valid freshwater fishing license
- only two poles are allowed per fisherman
- daily limit is five rainbow trout, with no minimum length limit
The fish will be distributed from A.E. Wood Fish Hatchery in San Marcos, which raises several types of fish in nearly 47 surface-acres of water for stocking in Texas. The spring-fed San Marcos River provides water for the facility.
Hatchery-reared fish are used to establish new populations, enhance existing populations, support research efforts, and maintain fisheries in small urban reservoirs where natural production does not meet recreational needs.
UPDATE: The trout release has been moved to Jan. 4 when the water in Hamilton Creek is expected to be cooler, announced the city of Burnet on Tuesday, Dec. 28. The release is set for 10 a.m. in Hamilton Creek Park. The release date was initially set for Dec. 30.
