It's the most wonderful time of the year – trout time! Rainbow trout stocking begins 11/24 and lasts until March. We'll stock 350,000+ rainbows in ponds and community lakes across the state, more than 200 locations in all.

Rainbow trout are delicious, and these are meant to be caught and eaten – they won't survive a Texas summer. The daily bag limit is 5 fish, with no size limit. 

Trout can be feisty and fun to catch, so plan to take the kids to a Neighborhood Fishin' pond and reel some in. It's the perfect way to encourage children to fish, and a simple way to create happy, lifelong memories. 

Check the stocking schedule to find out when your favorite spot will get trout – the schedule will be updated throughout the season. 

If you have some free time over the holidays, why not do some fishing? Surf and wade fishing are good in winter because summer swimmers aren't scaring the fish off. Check the weekly Gulf Coast Fishing Report to see what's biting.

Power-plant lakes are used to cool electric plants, so they're  warm year-round. This makes them winter wonderlands of bass and catfish. You'll find power-plant lakes statewide, including:

• Fayette Reservoir – NW of Houston
• Brandy Branch Reservoir – E of Longview 
• Lake Bastrop – E of Austin
• Calaveras Lake – SE of San Antonio

Find out where to fish for trout, blue catfish and striped bass during winter in the Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine article, Holiday Fishing Bonanza. 

For even more reasons to plan a holiday fishing trip, watch our short video, 4 Reasons Cold Weather Fishing is Hot – Advice from a TPWD Fisheries Biologist. We'll see you out there!

Rainbow trout is made for the fork. Its mild, nutty flavor will melt in your mouth. This easy Grilled Trout Bruschetta brings out trout's delicate flavor, then adds an exclamation point with a tasty sauce. It's the perfect way to share your harvest with friends and family – try it as a holiday appetizer or party dish. Enjoy! 

The 2021 Toyota ShareLunker season was one for the books. Anglers reeled in a whopping 23 ShareLunkers from 10 different lakes, the most since 1995. 

Will 2022 be just as good? Could it be better? Legacy Class season opens Jan. 1, so we're about to find out. Here are 3 things to do while you're waiting for the season to begin: 

• Download the ShareLunker app, if you haven't already.
• Look over the list of Lunkers and their lakes and decide where to go.
• Check out Keeping Bass Alive to learn the methods of good fish care that pro anglers use. 

There are anglers who are thrilled by the pursuit of small fish – anything under 6 inches is fair game. They use tiny rods, tiny hooks and tiny bait. It's called microfishing, and it's growing in popularity.

For serious microfishers, it's not just the size of the fish that's important, but also the variety and number of species caught. 

Sound interesting? We think so, and we're offering an online talk, Introduction to Microfishing, on 12/8 at 6 P.M. It's free, but pre-registration is required, so sign up today. It's sure to be entertaining.

To see a microfisher in action, watch our video, Fishing Small, the Art of Microfishing. 

Preventing the spread of aquatic invasive species is important to protect your lakes. Anglers dumping live bait into a waterbody from which that bait did not originate is one of the most common ways aquatic invasive species are spread. Two ways you can help stop the spread:

1. Never dump leftover bait into the water. 

2. Never take live-caught bait to another lake.

Instead – take your bait home to use in the future, offer it to another angler at the same lake, or put it in the trash. 

For more bait tips that can help stop the spread of aquatic invasives, read the Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine story Don't Dump That Bait!.