The past two years I have gone up to MJP Park on a Saturday the day after the trout were reportedly stocked on Friday. Both times there was probably over 50 fisherman there and not a single trout caught.


Just curious as to if anyone else has had the same experience? I have my theories but wanted to get other fishermen opinions.

I think I am going to try elsewhere this year.

Ever try the week after? If the ponds were stocked the fish are in there, they may be in shock due to water change but they are in there...

Never tried the week later. I have hit up other lakes (in a much less populated area) on a similar scenario and have caught trout.

I have seen hatchery trout caught within several hours after being stocked. My experience is if they are in there then you will at least see them.

I usually catch my first trout within minutes of the stocking. My experience has been the next day is not as good.

Have you checked with TPWD to make sure they did stock? The numbers are on the bottom of the trout schedule.

I normally take the day off for the stocking in Georgetown. I usually pull out 2 or 3. I have yet to limit. I mean, I am there when TPWD is literally hosing them in the water. I go back the next week I go back and catch nothing but sunnys.

In the 80's they would stock the lake at Cleburne State Park with trout. I would catch them for weeks after being stocked. I was there one time when they were releasing them. I caught them within minutes of them being released.

Now I am told they can only release them near big cities so more people have access to them.

I won't fight crowds of 50 or more people to catch them. So I guess I will never get to fish for trout in Texas again.

On both occasions I made phone calls to the hatchery and confirmed they were indeed stocked.

I suspect poaching but was hoping there was a better explanation.

OVER-PRESSURE on the pond is what it is.
It can kill the bite.

I thought they stopped announcing the stocking schedule because of folks were taking over-limits home?

They are definitely still releasing the trout schedule. Click here for the schedule.

Oh okay, I guess the first stocking is next Friday.

The schedule used to say every two weeks starting from such and such date until such and such date. Now they are listing exact dates for this lake.

Same goes for other lakes in similar stocking schedule (e.g. Tom Bass I)

Cormorants feast on them at MJP. I too have seldom had any success more than a day after stocking. I have seen the cormorants catching them when no anglers could. Also saw an article where TPWD was going to less-frequent stockings on some lakes to try to attempt to reduce the losses to cormorants. Here's a link:
http://www.kbtx.com/home/headlines/Texas...-232333221.html

This has been my experience as well. The Cormorants were feasting on the fish the whole time while tons of fisherman along the banks caught virtually nothing.

Anyone bother going?

My son and I were out there from 7am - 10:30am and didn't get a bite. We saw about 4 pulled out, all from around the south side of the pier.

It started getting crowded when we left.

Oh yeah, the birds were feasting on them around the "fountain" area.

James