AUSTIN, Texas – Psssst. Want to know a sure bet for landing some fish? You don’t even need a fishing license. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department will be stocking more than 26,000 rainbow trout at nearly a dozen state parks during the months ahead as part of its annual winter trout stocking program.

Thanks to the agency’s yearlong Family Fishing Celebration event, adults fishing in state parks are exempted from buying a fishing license and the $7 freshwater trout fishing stamp. Park admission fees, as well as the five trout per day bag limit, will still apply during the event.

The state agency has the authority to grant the license waiver for such events according to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Code. The waiver will save those fishing in state parks the cost of a fishing license.

During the Family Fishing Celebration, license-free angling will be restricted to bank and pier fishing and to fishing in bodies of water totally contained within the boundaries of a state park, such as Lake Raven in Huntsville, explained Kevin Good, Family Fishing Celebration coordinator for Texas State Parks. If anglers launch boats from state park property to access an adjacent lake or other water body, he said, they will still need a fishing license because the waiver will not apply outside state park boundaries.

In support of the Family Fishing Celebration, TPWD will host several special events and “Learn to Fish” seminars at select state parks throughout the state. Park visitors will be greeted at state parks by “Hook Up With Your Kids!” promotional posters and flyers on display.