Fishing New Braunfels

New Braunfels offers a myriad of places to fish, for everything from Sunfish and Cichlids, to the bass lineup, catfish, carp or gar.

My first step in choosing a place to fish is to decide what my target species is. 90% of the time I have no target species and the decision becomes one of convenience, time or patience. When I target specific species I usually have some go-to spots that I know produce. You'll find those places too as you gain experience, however, some might be right under your nose on your daily commute to work!

I'll start from West to East and will remain within a short drive of New Braunfels...

1. Canyon Lake: just a short drive out FM306 west (or up River Rd. if you have the time) is Canyon Lake. Canyon Lake is a man-made impoundment of the Guadalupe River, constructed in the late-50s and filled in 1964. It provides miles of shoreline where submerged cypress and oak stumps dot lake providing ample cover for its native species. Canyon Lake is a great spot to find a variety of species of bass (it pretty much has them all), as well as crappie, sunfish, carp, catfish and Long-nosed gar. I have paddles miles around the lake and prefer the northwestern corner where the river feeds the lake.

Tips:

1. White bass like it shiny and steady. The deeper you go, the bigger they get.

2. Don't forget chartreuse. I know, I know- I don't think it looks natural either, but when the visibility is high and the sun is out, the Largemouth love it.

3. If you fish the trees, consider going weedless. I often work the edges of the submerged tree branches and hooks get caught at inopportune times.

4. Jigheads work well for dragging over the branches, however, when using them near the bottom of the lake bed, they tend to get caught on the rocks.

5. Bring some good crankbaits in different colors. It's a good place to try them out, and they work well for crappie and bass alike, just beware of the submerged trees.

Access Points:

Check out this map from the USACE for access points, public parks, boat ramps and fish attractors.


2. Guadalupe River: this gorgeous stretch of river from it's controlled flow source at the mouth of the Canyon Dam to the Old Mill Dam at the Faust Street Bridge has it all. Spotted, Largemouth, Smallmouth and Guadalupe bass (and hybrids) can be found all along this river as well as small gar, small channel catfish, carp, cichlids, crappie and sunfish. This river is also stocked numerous times throughout the Fall and Winter by TPWD and GRTU with Rainbow Trout! Beware this river during the summer though, it is a mecca for recreational tourists.

Tips:

1. The Smallmouth are greater in number and size the closer you stay to Canyon Lake.

2. Stop behind or above the small sets of rapids to fish for rainbows and Guadalupe Bass. On winter days you'll often catch both in the same area.

3. Trout have small mouths, so keep the hooks small. I have luck on feathered jigs of bright colors. Trout need cold water and they're rarely found much downstream of the 2nd Crossing.

4. Consider shallow crankbaits in the slow stretches between rapids. Sunfish and Cichlids love them. I use the cheaper H2O Express square billed ones (and love the ones with the black dot behind the eye, mimicking the native Longear Sunfish). The bill might break on hidden rocks, so I don't invest too much.

5. When fishing shallow areas, especially from a kayak, consider tossing a weedless worm, craw or brush hog to the bank and pulling it back towards the center. Focus behind rocks, eddies behind tree roots and where current meets slack water.

Access Points:

There are multiple outfitters above New Braunfels but not many public access points. Rio Raft at the 4th Crossing (upstream from New Braunfels on River Road) is a popular one for winter trout fishermen and in 2012-13 trout season, had reserved free parking, paid for by TPWD fishing license fees.

There is also River Acres Park (off Common St) and Cypress Bend Park (just down river from River Acres Park- turn onto Peace Avenue from Common St.). Closer to I-35 is an access point from the easement below the Faust Street Bridge.


3. Comal River: the Comal River is one of the most pristine waterways in the world. The actual Comal River flows from Landa Lake, through the spring-fed pool at Landa Park, through the Landa Golf Course, behind the old Schlitterbahn, crosses Hinman Island Drive and enters the diverted Comal between Prince Solms and Hinman Island Parks. The portion of the Comal River from the Landa Park train station, to the hydroelectric plant and behind Wurstfest to Prince Solms Park was a mill race dug for powering the mills around Harry Landa's property in the late 1800s. The water is crystal clear and the fish easily spooked. This river hosts mostly Largemouth and Guadalupe Bass, as well as Cichlids and Sunfish.

Tips:

1. Fish weedless. Period. It isn't worth it.

2. The Comal is shallow, leave the diving cranks and jigheads at home.

3. Keep a low profile and don't move too quickly. The water is clear, and since the fish are used to seeing people ALL summer long, they spook easily.

4. Try using some nightcrawlers on crappie hooks. You'd be surprised what the bass will eat.

5. Landa Park is a hidden gem for fishing.

Access Points:

Hinman Island and Prince Solms Park. Likewise, it can be reached from the in-town parks on the Guadalupe, bu travelling up the Comal at the confluence of the two rivers. The "Last Public Exit" is quite a hill to have to haul a kayak or fishing toob up. You might as well go on to the Faust Street Bridge or I-35.


4. Lake Dunlap: this lake was dammed in the 30s for hydroelectric power and offers great opportunity for bigger fish that the Guadalupe just can't provide without depth. This lake is more densely lined with houses and is really just a wide portion of the Guadalupe River. It is heavily fished, and if the weather is right, heavily boated. The bass are smart here, don't let that discourage you. You'll find black bass, gar, carp and great sized catfish in Lake Dunlap.

Tips:

1. For catfish consider greasy (leftover) meats, including chicken. Sink a chunk with a good cast off the bank and wait. It picks up around dusk and overnight.

2. Dunlap is a popular place for bowfishing gar. Gar hate to love frayed ropes (figure it out).

3. Largemouth abound! This lake has produced Sharelunkers and is beginning to get a reputation locally for being a producer of big bass. Bring the crankbaits and brighter spoons.

4. Fish the boat docks and especially the lit ones (without ticking off the homeowners) for catfish at night with live worms.

5. Don't let an exposed hook linger near the bottom on a retrieve (or just resting). Dunlap has a lot of submerged structures and loves to claim baits. Jigheads work well if they're retrieved steadily and can't fall behind an obstacle.

Access Points:

The boat ramp under I-35 is the only truly public put-in. There was also a private boat ramp out FM 725 (off Schumann's Beach I believe) with an honor system box and a boat ramp. I'm not sure if it still runs, but it was a convenient way to get a boat near the dam.

   I hope this primer helps you find a spot to wet a line. I'll be focusing on each of the locations in greater detail in the future.