The San Marcos gives us the unusual advantage of fishing a river just yards from its birthplace. The San Marcos River is formed by over 200 springs releasing 350 million gallons of water from the Balcones Escarpment each day. This unique arrangement gives us very stable water temperatures month after month in the headwater section of the San Marcos. The San Marcos holds large stocks of Guadalupe bass and largemouth bass, as well as an amazing population of Bluegill and Red Ear Sunfish up to and over a pound. The San Marcos also has a healthy population of Rio Grande Perch. If you have never caught one, this is the place to give it a try.
There are three main floats that you can do on the San Marcos. The first is the headwaters stretch, starting in the city of San Marcos and flowing five miles downstream to County Road 101. Due to the spring-fed origin of the San Marcos, the water temperature and clarity in the headwater section is very stable. The flow in this section averages approximately 200 cubic feet per second which makes for a nice day-long float. The headwater section has three dams that need to be portaged, but has no whitewater. The casting on the headwaters can be very tight in places and underwater structure is abundant – good thing I provide the flies!
The next float starts at County Road 101 and runs five miles down to Highway 1979. As we get further away from the headwaters, the rainfall and ambient temperature affect the river more and must be taken into consideration. This stretch offers more open casting and a little faster flow than the headwaters float does. The population of Sunfish is slightly lower here, although still very good, but the population of large Bass seems to go up. As with the headwaters float, there is an abundance of underwater structure on this section, which offers great cover for bigger fish. This stretch has some fast water and there are two areas that will need to be portaged around, but they can be handled with ease.
The last float that I do on the San Marcos starts at HWY 1979 and covers 5.5 miles downriver to HWY 1976. Again, this float has more open casting, plenty of structure and a nice flow to make it an enjoyable trip. This section of the river is very similar the County Road 101 – HWY 1979 float, except it is a bit longer.
*We unfortunately can’t control the weather or fishing conditions so in order to provide the best experience possible, the river for your trip may change. Kevin will communicate any changes promptly prior to your trip.
General Information
What Is Provided:
We provide all the equipment (as needed), flies and leaders. Along with the fishing gear, we provide a full lunch, drinks and snacks. If you have special dietary needs, we can accommodate them. We also provide essentials like sunscreen and first aid items. At the end of the trip, you will be shuttled back to your vehicle. We also carry Boga Grips and cameras to record your catch so you can brag when you get back to the office. We also carry extra rods and reels in case they are needed, so you can rest assured that your day fishing will go uninterrupted.
What You Should Bring:
Bring any rain gear or cold weather clothing you think you might need. The weather here in Texas is unpredictable and things can change, so it is best to be prepared. Do not forget to bring any medication you may need during the day, and let us know if it needs special storage. For summer trips, I recommend long sleeve, quick-dry shirts and long, quick-dry pants to protect you from the Texas sun. I do not recommend sandals of any type. A good pair of felt-soled wading shoes or tennis shoes are a much better choice.
What You Should not Bring:
Leave your cell phones, pagers and expensive cameras in your car or at home. We carry cell phones for emergencies and we have cameras to record your catch. As a general rule, do not bring anything that can not get wet. Things have a way of migrating to the bottom of the boat and getting wet.
Full day pricing
$300 (single person / per day)
$450 (two people / per day)
$650 (three people / per day)
$750 (four people / per day)
Half day pricing
$225 (single person / per day)
$325 (two people / per day)
(Gratuities are not included, but are appreciated by our hard working guides.)
Large group trips (more than four) are custom designed and are priced on a case-by-case basis. I can guarantee you that we will provide most experienced service for the best price in the Hill Country.