Frio River Fishing Guides
A clear limestone Hill Country river through the canyons at Concan and Garner State Park, cold enough to be named for it and one of the most popular summer float rivers in Texas.
Guides on the Frio River
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About the Frio River
The Frio takes its name from the Spanish word for cold, and anyone who steps into it at Concan in July understands why. It rises in the limestone canyons of Real County, cuts through the western Hill Country past Garner State Park, and runs south toward the Nueces. The gauge at Concan watches three hundred and eighty-nine square miles and reports discharge, stage and a live water temperature series, which is unusually helpful on a river whose entire appeal and entire risk profile are both governed by flow.
This is karst country, and the Frio behaves accordingly. Water moves through fractured limestone, springs feed the channel in places and the channel loses water to the aquifer in others, so the river can be a clear flowing stream in one reach and a chain of pools a few miles downstream. In drought years long sections go dry, and the difference between a floatable Frio and an unfloatable one is a matter of a few inches on the gauge.
The counterpart to that is flash flooding. The Hill Country has some of the most extreme short-duration rainfall in North America, and the Frio’s canyons funnel it. Rises of many feet in an hour are part of the river’s documented history, and anyone camping or floating here watches upstream weather rather than local weather.
Fishing is a Guadalupe bass and panfish affair, done on light tackle in clear water where sight-fishing is normal. The bigger draw, though, is simply the river as a place: Garner State Park is among the most visited parks in Texas, and summer on the Frio means tubing, swimming and a level of use that shapes when a guided trip can realistically run.
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Access
Garner State Park - the best-known access, with river frontage, camping and heavy summer use.
Concan and the Highway 127 crossing - the gauge reach and the center of the tubing outfitters.
Neal's Lodges vicinity - traditional lodging and river access at Concan.
Seven Bluff Crossing - a scenic low-water crossing with bank access.
Leakey and the upper river along Highway 83 - smaller, clearer headwater reaches.
County road low-water crossings between Leakey and Concan - informal walk-in access.
The Nueces confluence south of Uvalde - the bottom of the system, often dry in drought.
Seasons
Spring: the best flows of the year and excellent clear-water sight fishing before the crowds.
Summer: peak tubing and swimming season at Concan and Garner, with flows dropping through August.
Fall: traffic falls away sharply and the river returns to quiet fishing water.
Winter: cold, low and very quiet, with fishing concentrated in the deeper permanent pools.
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Questions
What is the current flow on the Frio River?
As of Sep 17, 5:45 am, the USGS gauge Frio Rv at Concan, TX reads 70 cfs, with water temperature 81.1 F. Conditions update every 15 minutes.
What species can you catch on the Frio River?
Anglers target Bluegill, Channel Catfish, Guadalupe Bass, Largemouth Bass, Longear Sunfish, Rio Grande Cichlid, Spotted Bass on the Frio River in Texas.
Where can you access the Frio River?
Garner State Park - the best-known access, with river frontage, camping and heavy summer use. Concan and the Highway 127 crossing - the gauge reach and the center of the tubing outfitters. Neal's Lodges vicinity - traditional lodging and river access at Concan. Seven Bluff Crossing - a scenic low-water crossing with bank access. Leakey and the upper river along Highway 83 - smaller, clearer headwater reaches. County road low-water crossings between Leakey and Concan - informal walk-in access. The Nueces confluence south of Uvalde - the bottom of the system, often dry in drought.
When is the best time to fish the Frio River?
Spring: the best flows of the year and excellent clear-water sight fishing before the crowds. Summer: peak tubing and swimming season at Concan and Garner, with flows dropping through August. Fall: traffic falls away sharply and the river returns to quiet fishing water. Winter: cold, low and very quiet, with fishing concentrated in the deeper permanent pools.
Where are the fishing regulations for the Frio River?
Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the Texas agency site: https://tpwd.texas.gov/regulations/outdoor-annual/fishing/