Last updated:
Central Park Pond #1 (College Station) fishing
A Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) Neighborhood Fishin' pond at Central Park, 1000 Krenek Tap Road, College Station. About 2 acres (TPWD). TPWD stocks its Neighborhood Fishin' lakes with channel catfish in the warm months and rainbow trout in winter, and special Community Fishing Lake rules apply.
No reports from Central Park Pond #1 (College Station) in the last 30 days. Send a report · Guides: get a free listing
Stocking at Central Park Pond #1 (College Station)
Channel catfish: In season. TPWD stocks catfish at these ponds from mid-April through October. TPWD doesn't publish catfish dates for each pond. Its April 2026 announcement said each Neighborhood Fishin' lake gets channel catfish every two weeks through the end of October, with a pause during August.
Rainbow trout: Starts around Thanksgiving (Nov 26, 2026). TPWD stocks rainbow trout here from Thanksgiving to the first week in March. TPWD hasn't posted its 2026–2027 trout schedule yet; we check it with every data refresh and will show the dates here once it's out. For reference, TPWD's 2025–2026 schedule listed 8 dates here, Nov 26, 2025 to Mar 2, 2026, 1,792 trout in total.
Dates can change. TPWD says specific stocking dates "are subject to change, including last minute changes, due to weather and other circumstances," and that most trout stocking happens between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. with exact times unavailable. Schedule dates are plans, not confirmed stockings. TPWD sends stocking updates by text: text NF to 1-855-784-3034.
Sources: TPWD: Neighborhood Fishin' catfish and trout stocking (listed as "Central Park Pond #1"); TPWD: Rainbow trout stocking schedule (listed as "Central Park Pond #1"); TPWD news release, Apr. 8, 2026; past years' totals: TPWD stocking reports by water body. Schedule checked Oct 20, 10:32 PM CDT.
Other fish here
TPWD's program stocks this pond with channel catfish and rainbow trout. Any other fish here come from past stockings or were already living in the pond. Here's what official sources show:
- TPWD stocking records also show largemouth bass (2019), bluegill (2019), yellow perch (1997), bluegill × green sunfish hybrid (1997), green × redear sunfish hybrid (1996), Florida largemouth bass (1995), longear sunfish (1995), hybrid sunfish (1994), blue catfish (1990), coppernose bluegill (1985), and coppernose bluegill × green sunfish hybrid (1981). The year is the most recent time TPWD stocked that fish here. TPWD stocking history for this pond.
An old stocking doesn't mean those fish are still here, and a record shows that one fish was caught, not that the species is common. Caught something else? Send a report.
Sources: TPWD stocking history and TPWD water body records (water body code 0159), checked Oct 20, 8:46 PM CDT. We leave out channel catfish and rainbow trout here because they're covered above.
Rules at Neighborhood Fishin' ponds
TPWD's Community Fishing Lake rules (Outdoor Annual, valid Sep. 1, 2026 through Aug. 31, 2027). A Community Fishing Lake is any public impoundment of 75 acres or less that lies totally within an incorporated city limits or a municipal, city, county or state park.
- Daily bag limit: 5 fish, all species combined, and only 1 of the 5 may be a black bass. Each person fishing gets their own daily bag.
- Black bass must be 14 inches or longer. No other species has a minimum length here.
- Pole and line only (rod and reel, fly rod or cane pole), and no more than two poles per person.
- TPWD's Neighborhood Fishin' page adds that trotlines, jug lines, fish traps, seines, cast nets, bows and spears aren't allowed at these lakes.
Sources: TPWD: Community Fishing Lakes regulations; Outdoor Annual definition of a Community Fishing Lake; TPWD: Neighborhood Fishin' regulations. Checked Oct 20, 2026. If anything here differs from the TPWD Outdoor Annual, TPWD is right.
Do you need a fishing license?
- Under 17: no license needed. TPWD: "Kids under 17 fish for free."
- 17 and older: you need a Texas fishing license with a freshwater endorsement. The resident freshwater package is $30 for the 2026–27 license year, and a One-Day All-Water license is $11 (residents) or $16 (non-residents). Residents born before Jan. 1, 1931 are exempt.
- Free Fishing Day: anyone can fish without a license on the first Saturday in June.
Bag limits apply to everyone, licensed or not. Neighborhood Fishin' ponds are in city and county parks, so the state-park license exemption doesn't apply here. Buy a license online from TPWD or at a retailer. Sources: TPWD: Neighborhood Fishin'; TPWD: Fishing Licenses and Packages. More detail: our License & regulations guide.
Getting there
| Park | Central Park |
|---|---|
| Address | 1000 Krenek Tap Road, College Station, TX |
| Local TPWD office | (979) 272-1430 |
Driving directions (Google Maps)
Park amenities: TPWD describes its Neighborhood Fishin' sites as clean, well-lit sites in city and county parks near picnic tables, parking and restrooms, with shoreline access. It doesn't list amenities pond by pond, so check City of College Station (TPWD's local partner here) for hours and current facilities.
Address, size, directions and map link from TPWD: Neighborhood Fishin', Where to Go and TPWD's stocking list (retrieved Oct 20, 2026). Amenities: TPWD Neighborhood Fishin' and TPWD, Apr. 8, 2026.
Baits and simple techniques
General tips from TPWD's Neighborhood Fishin' page, not a report on this pond.
Catfish (spring to fall)
TPWD: catfish prefer strong-smelling baits. Try nightcrawlers, chicken livers, shrimp, stinkbait or cut hot dogs. A simple way to start is bait on the bottom, or under a small float so kids can see the bite.
Rainbow trout (winter)
TPWD: cheese, kernel corn, nightcrawlers, red wigglers and meal worms make good trout baits. If you'd rather use a lure, try a small inline spinner or a spoon. TPWD notes that rainbow trout survive only during winter in most parts of Texas.
New to fishing or bringing kids? A light, ready-to-fish spinning combo is all you need: see our basic spinning setup for beginners and kids. TPWD also has free Learn to Fish videos.