Recent rains in many parts of the state have resulted in the lifting of burn bans, meaning campers at more Texas state parks will be able to warm their feet by a glowing fire and cook their favorite outdoor dish without fire restrictions.

Throw your rod and reel in the car and take the short drive to your local fishing hole, it’s time once again for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s annual winter rainbow trout stocking.

Things are looking up for the endangered whooping crane. The bird made news three years ago when a record number of crane deaths were reported during drought conditions on the Texas coast. But according to state and federal biologists, flock numbers have rebounded, and a new record high number of cranes should start arriving on the Texas coast later this month.

Fishing at Squaw Creek is generally synonymous with largemouth bass fishing—and rightly so, since the reservoir has plenty of good-sized largemouth bass for the taking. However, catfish anglers might be unaware of the tremendous opportunity this reservoir provides during the cooler autumn and winter months.

With cooler weather just around the corner and cabin fever taking its toll on those of the outdoor persuasion, people are ready to start enjoying the outdoors again. In North Texas, Meridian and Cleburne State Parks offer fishing opportunities close to home with excellent hiking and camping opportunities as well.

There was not much change in the red tide over the weekend. The bloom remains roughly from San Luis Pass to the Brazos River, with one report of stressed fish at the mouth of the San Bernard River and the ICWW.

A rare catch of a red-breasted piranha in a community lake near Houston recently illustrates the need for prohibition of invasive aquatic species in Texas waters.

Some 172,000 fish were lost in Fairfield Lake in September in what has become an annual event at the Luminant power plant lake adjacent to Fairfield Lake State Park.

Beyond the loss of lives and property, the still-smoldering Bastrop Complex Fire has had a significant impact not only on the iconic and highly-popular Bastrop State Park but much of the entire Lost Pines ecosystem. The fire, which began north of the park on Sept. 4, claimed two lives, destroyed more than 1,500 homes, and changed the lives of thousands in Bastrop County.