Nueces River Fishing Guides
The upper Nueces canyon above Uvalde is a clear, cypress-lined Hill Country float with strong Guadalupe bass water and a fraction of the pressure the Guadalupe sees.
Guides on the Nueces River
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About the Nueces River
The Nueces runs nearly three hundred miles from the western Edwards Plateau to Corpus Christi Bay, but the reach that matters to anglers is the upper canyon between Barksdale, Camp Wood and Uvalde. Up there it is a Hill Country river of the best kind: clear water over pale limestone and gravel, bald cypress crowding both banks, and a steady alternation of riffle and pool through a narrow valley. Below Uvalde it changes character entirely, running out onto the South Texas plain and largely going subsurface through the sand country before rebuilding downstream toward the coast.
The upper river is a genuine Guadalupe bass fishery and one of the least crowded in the state. Fish hold on the current seams and in the pockets behind limestone ledges, and they take small poppers and crayfish patterns without much persuasion. Largemouth take the deeper pools, Rio Grande cichlid are abundant in the slower water, and redbreast sunfish fill in everywhere else. Because the canyon sits well west of the Austin and San Antonio corridor, a weekday here can pass without seeing another boat, which is not something anyone says about the Guadalupe.
Flow is the whole planning problem. This part of the Nueces depends on spring input and on rain that arrives unevenly across the plateau, and in a dry stretch the river breaks into disconnected pools that must be walked between. In a normal year the reaches near Barksdale and Camp Wood hold enough water for a kayak. Access is mostly through low-water crossings on the county roads and through private leases, so anglers stay in the streambed and arrange bank access in advance. The gauge near Barksdale is the number to check.
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Access
Barksdale low-water crossing on Highway 55 - the reference gauge site and the usual upper put-in.
Camp Wood river crossings - several county-road crossings giving streambed access through the canyon.
Chalk Bluff Park near Uvalde - private park with river frontage, camping and dependable pools.
Highway 55 crossings between Barksdale and Uvalde - roadside streambed access at moderate flow.
Montell and County Road 414 crossing - mid-canyon access point used for short kayak floats.
Uvalde city reaches - the bottom of the clear water before the river runs onto the plain.
Garner State Park on the nearby Frio - alternate public water when the Nueces is too low to float.
Seasons
Spring: best flows of the year and the most dependable window for floating the canyon reaches.
Summer: low and warm, wade the pools early, and expect to walk between them in a dry year.
Fall: rain rebuilds the river and Guadalupe bass feed hard with almost no angling pressure.
Winter: clear and cold, fishable but slow, and low flows make long stretches unfloatable.
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Questions
What is the current flow on the Nueces River?
As of Sep 8, 2:00 am, the USGS gauge Nueces Rv nr Barksdale, TX reads 79 cfs. Conditions update every 15 minutes.
What species can you catch on the Nueces River?
Anglers target Channel Catfish, Guadalupe Bass, Largemouth Bass, Longnose Gar, Redbreast Sunfish, Rio Grande Cichlid on the Nueces River in Texas.
Where can you access the Nueces River?
Barksdale low-water crossing on Highway 55 - the reference gauge site and the usual upper put-in. Camp Wood river crossings - several county-road crossings giving streambed access through the canyon. Chalk Bluff Park near Uvalde - private park with river frontage, camping and dependable pools. Highway 55 crossings between Barksdale and Uvalde - roadside streambed access at moderate flow. Montell and County Road 414 crossing - mid-canyon access point used for short kayak floats. Uvalde city reaches - the bottom of the clear water before the river runs onto the plain. Garner State Park on the ne...
When is the best time to fish the Nueces River?
Spring: best flows of the year and the most dependable window for floating the canyon reaches. Summer: low and warm, wade the pools early, and expect to walk between them in a dry year. Fall: rain rebuilds the river and Guadalupe bass feed hard with almost no angling pressure. Winter: clear and cold, fishable but slow, and low flows make long stretches unfloatable.
Where are the fishing regulations for the Nueces River?
Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the Texas agency site: https://tpwd.texas.gov/regulations/outdoor-annual/fishing