Where are some places to catch trout less than 5 hour trip from ft worth area? I have been to Beavers Bend but would like to try something different. I know about the TPWD stockings. I'm looking for something a little more realistic. Thank you in advance.

As far as I know, if you are wanting to catch wild trout, the nearest place to Texas is Northern Arkansas. The rivers I know of off the top of my head are the White and Little Red, but there may be others.

There is a post from FishyB about trout fishing the Blue River in Oklahoma. A rough GoogleMaps request shows just over 2 hours from Ft. Worth.

Within 5 hours of fort worth the only place to find wild trout is Beavers Bend. The Guadalupe in New Braunfels is stocked in the winter, but access is tough and this year the flows are way up. The Blue in Tishomingo, OK has stockers from Thanksgiving thru early April.

N. Arkansas is about 6 hours away. Ruidoso, NM is about 7 hours away. Taneycomo/Branson is about 6-7 hours as well.

It may be on the ragged edge of your 5 hour parameter but you may want to consider the Lower Little Missouri at Murfreesboro, AR.

We recently made it back to Twok in about 4 hours pulling a 4 wheeler on a trail. I don't know about wild trout but there were a bunch of good size stockers. One guy downstream caught a good size Brown. Three very nice access points between Murfreesboro and the Narrow Dam. Plenty of nice food and lodging in town....were going back.

Thank y'all for the feed back. Some friends and I are trying to plan a two or three day trip. Might bring our kayaks and camp. I'll check these places out. Thanks again.

^this best option Arkansas or Missouri just outside your driving window but the fishing makes up for the drive big time!!!

The Illinois River below lake Tenkiller in OK is stocked year round. There not wild, but it's pretty country up there and it's wadable.

Also the Illinois empties into the Arkansas river right below where they stock and there are some big stripers that eat the trout like candy.

The game wardens catch a lot of low lifes that catch the trout and use them for striper bait.

Just made a trip to the Guadalupe last week before the rain and had a good day catching some nice rainbows, best was a 19 1/2 incher! There are several good spots to fish and access is easy!

Guadalupe is on FIRE! From the Canyon Trail Race all the way to Slumber Falls!

Catching some nice trophy fish at the Devils Playground off of River Road! Also the deep holes up by the horse shoe are holding some nice fish.

Can you wade/kayak fish the whole thing, or what are the rules with private land etc?

Kayak would be hard to do. Tpwd has gotten permission from several of the tube rental places for fisherman to have free access. The best access is had by joining Guadalupe River Trout Unlimited though and getting the lease access.

Plus #1.


Side Note: You can also pay some of the camps along River Road to fish and to put a Kayak/raft in. You can even park and leave your car there for the day as along as you pay for a day pass!