Fly Fishing the San Marcos River in the Fall
The San Marcos River in the Fall
Most people think of spring when they think of the San Marcos River. But fall is every bit as good, and in some ways better. The summer crowds are gone, the mornings are cool, and the bass are feeding hard to fatten up before winter. If you've been waiting for the right time to float the San Marcos, this is it.
What Makes the San Marcos River Special
The San Marcos Springs are the second-largest springs system in Texas, pushing out roughly 100 million gallons of water a day at the same temperature year-round. That steady flow of cool, clean water is what makes this river so reliable, and so different from anything else in Central Texas.
Drought, heat waves and cold fronts that shut down other rivers barely touch the San Marcos. In the fall, when a norther can turn other fisheries off for days, the San Marcos keeps fishing. If you only have one day to fish and you want to stack the odds in your favor, this is the river we'd pick.
It's also just a beautiful place to spend a day. Clear water, cypress-lined banks and long stretches with no one else around. More than a few of our clients tell us it's the prettiest river they've ever fished.
What You'll Catch
The San Marcos holds largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, native Guadalupe bass and Guadalupe/smallmouth hybrids. You'll also run into Rio Grande cichlids, several kinds of sunfish, carp, catfish and gar. On a typical full-day float, you can realistically catch five or six different species.
Big bass are common here, too. Steady flows, plenty of food and light fishing pressure all add up to larger fish than you'd expect from a river this size.
The real draw, though, is the variety. One minute you're watching a Guadalupe bass crush a popper along the bank. The next, a hybrid is ripping line off the reel in a fast riffle. No two casts feel the same.
Why Fall Is Prime Time
As the days get shorter and the air cools, the bass start bulking up for winter. They get aggressive, and they'll move a long way to hit a fly. Mornings are made for topwater, with a popper or foam bug worked along shaded banks drawing some violent strikes.
Later in the day, we switch to a Clouser Minnow or streamer stripped through the deeper pools and along the edges of the vegetation. Because the water temperature stays so steady, the fishing stays consistent from one day to the next, even as the weather swings around.
Fall weather on the river is about as good as it gets, too. Cool mornings, comfortable afternoons and none of the summer heat or tubing traffic.
How We Fish It
We float the San Marcos. Wading doesn't work well here because of the depth and the vegetation, and floating lets us cover a lot more good water. We use stable whitewater rafts that carry two anglers and a guide, so everyone gets plenty of shots.
We run several different floats through the San Marcos and Martindale sections of the river, with fast riffles, deep pools, undercut banks and gravel flats. We pick the float based on conditions, your experience and what the fish are doing that week. Your guide handles the rowing and positions the raft so you can put the fly right where the fish are. We offer both full-day and half-day trips, and you can pair a San Marcos day with a Colorado River or Llano River trip if you want to see more than one river.
If you're new to fly fishing, don't let that stop you. Beginners are welcome, and the San Marcos is a great place to learn. We'll work with you on the cast before we ever push off, and your guide will coach you through the day. If you've been fishing for years, we'll put you on water that will challenge you.
What to Bring
We provide all the gear, including rods, reels and flies. You'll need to bring:
A Texas fishing license
Polarized sunglasses (you'll see a lot more fish with them)
A hat and sunscreen
Clothes that can get wet
A light layer or rain jacket for cool fall mornings
If you want to use your own gear, bring a 5 or 6 weight rod with a floating line. Rig one for topwater and one for streamers, and bring a few poppers and Clouser Minnows in natural colors.
Fall Dates Go Fast
Fall is one of the best times of year on the San Marcos, and weekend dates fill up quickly. If you've been meaning to float it, now is the time to lock in your date.
