Llano River Fishing Guides and Conditions, Texas

About the Llano River

The Llano forms at Junction where the North and South Llano meet and runs east about a hundred miles through Mason and Llano to the Colorado River at Lake LBJ. It flows over pink Llano uplift granite and white limestone in a series of slab shelves, gravel runs and deep green pools, and when it is at a good level it is one of the prettiest rivers in Texas. It is a shallow, wadeable, kayak-scale river for most of its length, not a boat river.

Guadalupe bass are the reason anglers travel for it. The Texas state fish is a small, hard-fighting native black bass found only in the Hill Country, and the Llano holds one of the strongest populations, with an active restoration program on the South Llano that has pushed back hybridization with introduced smallmouth. Largemouth take the deeper pools, Rio Grande cichlids give the river a tropical flash on the light tackle, longear sunfish and bluegill are everywhere, and channel catfish work the deeper holes. Fly anglers work the slabs with poppers and small streamers.

The Mason gauge is the number that decides the trip. The Llano is a flash-flood river with a fearsome reputation: a thunderstorm over the upper basin can raise it many feet in a matter of hours, and floods here have been among the most dramatic recorded in Texas. Moderate readings mean clear water over the slabs, easy wading and good paddling. Very low water leaves a chain of pools connected by trickles, which still fishes but means dragging a kayak. Never camp on a gravel bar with rain in the forecast upstream.

Junction, Mason and Llano are the base towns, and the South Llano River State Park is the best public access in the basin.

Access

South Llano River State Park: the best public access, camping and river frontage near Junction.
Junction and the North and South Llano confluence: the top of the main stem.
Mason and the Highway 87 crossing: access near the gauge.
James River confluence: a clear spring-fed tributary.
Castell and the Llano River slab crossings: classic Hill Country access.
Llano town park: lower river access above the Colorado.
Numerous county road crossings give wade access; respect private land between them.

Seasons

March through May: the best months, moderate flows and active Guadalupe bass.
June through August: hot and low, fish early and late; watch upstream storms for flash floods.
September and October: falling temperatures and excellent topwater fishing.
Winter: clear low water, sluggish fish on cold days and beautiful empty river on warm ones.