Hey guys, quick question. Over the past few weeks I've been driving quite a bit to test different fishing spots. I've noticed myself crossing rivers and creeks, and often wonder if there are any fish to be had...

The problem is that there is no designated parking near these bridges. If I were to fish from them/near them, I'd need to pull off the road and onto the shoulder... Is that legal?

Also, as far as potentially trespassing, does anyone know the laws on how far from a bridge is considered public water?

Thanks for your time.

I know that almost anywhere fishing from bridges is considered illegal just due to a safety issue . I Know I see places like that a lot and it kills me . I can just hear the fishing laughing at me .

What about parking before the bridge, and then walking down to the water's edge?

The way I see it, fishing on bridges is frowned on or illegal. Under them is legal.
Just don't park in driveways wether or not it looks like its been used in last year,and you'll be ok. Deer season is here so keep that in mind. More likely those old gates to be used for hunting.If its a far walk, dump your stuff out near the bridge and go park. Same when you leave. Doubt there's that sorry of people out there to steal your stuff with you right there walking the road but wouldn't put where people can see anyway.
Look for power lines and fences. The state owns the land between them. Landowners can put fences up to keep people,I mean "cattle" out or in. But they can't claim ownership or deny passage if you don't interfere with livestock. But they can still cause high blood pressure.
If Im wrong please let me know.

Parking before bridge can be dicey at times. We used to park along side the road at WRC and did it long enough to where the finally cleared an area for all fishermen and made it a parking lot. Now they have no parking signs on both sides of the road and both ends of the bridge! I have done it at Rowlett Creek, and down in Waxahachie during the white bass spawn and it was cool. Just depends on where you are doing it and what the locals have to say about it.

Fishing from a bridge is indeed a safety issue. Have seen it done and nothing was said, and have seen it tried when plenty was said and the ultimatum was move or get a ticket.

Not much help but this is what I have personally experienced and or witnessed.

Rudy

Denton Creek at 377 in Keller is a good example of roadside fishing.
Not much water there this year though.

I won't comment on the parking situation because it almost seems like a case by case thing, but any body of water deemed "navigable" is public land. The law is you have to be within the normal stream bed. This means if the water is all dried up you can still legally walk in the dry bed. Vice versa...if the stream is normally 20 ft wide and due to flooding is currently 50 ft wide you are only allowed to be within the borders of the normal 20 ft section. There are lots of explanations on www.southwestpaddler.com under the laws section.

Also remember...purple paint on a tree, fence post etc means private property and is a legally posted warning.

nice report

If there's a "no parking" sign you cannot park past the sign, but you can park in front of it.

If you can safely do it, pull at least 3 feet off the shoulder of the road onto the grass. Nobody will mess with you then...unless of course it is a no parking zone. I'd bet you knew the answer to the fishing on a bridge question before you asked it.

I have a couple of little spots I go to when I don't have time to make a real effort out of it... both are where the highway goes over a river and creek...

I just pull off and walk down under the bridge on the cement embankment, and have at it... As previously stated, there is no issue walking in the riverbed area, and along the bank...

Seems there are quite a few other people that do it too as I always see evidence of other people there...

Most of the creeks/rivers have dink guadalupe bass, and a variety of sunfish species and catfish, carp, and in some places gar...

If it is anything like the area where I am, you may have to walk the creek to find "holes" where there is deep enough water to hold fish...