Where is the best place to fish in the Trinity River?

Best Places to Fish Trinity River The 25-mile upper section from the Lewiston Dam downstream to Junction City, offers the best year-round fishing on the Trinity.



For 2026, the Upper Trinity River (specifically the stretch from the Lewiston Dam down to the North Fork) is the premier destination for Steelhead and Chinook Salmon. This section benefits from consistent cool water releases from the dam, making it fishable even when coastal rivers are blown out by winter storms. Popular spots like Del Loma and Douglas City are legendary for their productive riffles and holes. If you are targeting the river's famous "monsters," the Lower Trinity near the coast is better for record-breaking Alligator Gar. For bay enthusiasts, Trinity Bay (nestled between Galveston Bay and the river mouth) offers incredible inshore action for Redfish and Speckled Trout, with McCollum Park and Smith Point being top-tier locations for surf casting and wading. Whether you are fly fishing for trout in the upper mountains or using heavy gear for gar in the southern wetlands, the Trinity remains one of the most diverse and rewarding river systems in the American South.

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Feeding places include the outside of bends, merging currents, drop-offs, feeder brooks and springs. These are places where the current slows and food collects or sinks. When you have a hiding place next to a feeding place, you have a really good fishing spot!

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Champion Lake is the refuge's largest and most popular year-round fishing spot. The most common species are largemouth bass, catfish, crappie and blue crab. Fishing by boat (10 hp motor or less) is allowed from a 150-foot pier or along a 3/4-mile-long levee.

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For baiting your hook we suggest bait with bright colors so, aim for colors like bright orange, red, pink or yellow. You have the option to do one Powerbait ball and one Powerbait worm, or two Powerbait balls, do not use matching colors. You will also pair this with a 1/16 oz.

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The Trinity River was ranked the 3rd most polluted river in Texas, being known as The River of Death, with about 912,685 lbs. of litter and about 657 lbs. of toxic discharge found in the river. Over the years these things have been getting better, but the problem is still that pollution is being put in the river.

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