Guadalupe Report

The trout season on the Guadalupe is starting early this year. Cooler days and cooling rains have brought the average daily river temperature on the Guadalupe River tailwater down to the required thresholds for the safe introduction of new fish that will soon join the holdover trout in the Trophy Trout Zone of the Guadalupe. My guiding season for trout on the Guadalupe will being on Tuesday, November 17 and continue into the spring. Flows are still down from the historic averages but Canyon Lake continues to rise, and has now gained five feet since the beginning of September. This is one of the earlier starts to the trout season on the Guadalupe in a number of years and, with the long range forecast calling for above average rainfall and slightly cooler temperatures this winter, we might finally be seeing the end of our extended drought and a return to nice trout fishing well into the spring.

Fly patterns early in the season often include smaller wooly buggers, standard nymphs such as hare’s ear nymphs, pheasant tail nymphs, zebra midges, various egg patterns and San Juan worms. There have been nice hatches in recent weeks, including caddis and some mayflies. As winter approaches the bugs, and therefore the fly menu, will change but for now, start with your “go-to” flies and then get more creative from there.

In addition to scouting for trout, I have also been looking for striped bass above the trophy trout zone. This has provided some mixed fishing days in which I have fished nymphs for trout in the runs and streamers in the pools for stripers.

All-in-all, it is looking to be another very nice season on the Guadalupe River for trout.