Texas Flyfishers of Houston

Trout in the Classroom: Down the River

Since 2011, Texas FlyFishers has helped Houston-area students raise rainbow trout from eggs in their own classrooms. What started as one tank at Katy High School has grown into a program that now reaches more than a dozen schools across the Houston area every year.

Follow the river

Every Trout in the Classroom post, year by year.

  1. 2011-2015: The first tank

    TFF sponsored its first Trout in the Classroom tank in the aquatic science classroom at Katy High School, run by teacher Kathleen Brown. About 100 rainbow trout eggs went into that first tank. By 2015, TFF was celebrating its fourth year of support for Katy ISD.

    1. Trout in the Classroom

      TFF announces its fourth straight year supporting the Trout in the Classroom project in Katy ISD.

  2. 2016: Five tanks

    About 500 rainbow trout eggs arrived in late January for tanks at Katy, Mayde Creek, Seven Lakes and a new tank at Cypress Lakes HS. Students raised the fish to about 3 inches before the May release on the Guadalupe.

    1. 2016 Trout in the Classroom project kicks off

      About 500 rainbow trout eggs arrive for five tanks: two at Katy HS, plus Seven Lakes, Mayde Creek and a new tank at Cypress Lakes HS. TFF funds a full tank setup each year and GRTU supplies the eggs.

    2. Trout In the Classroom Update

      Every egg has hatched. The trout are free swimming and starting to show parr marks, with a release planned once they reach about 3 inches in mid May.

    3. Trout in the Classroom Release Date

      The release is set for May 7 on the Guadalupe, with lunch in Sattler first. It clashed with the club auction, but it was the only May weekend without a prom at one of the schools.

  3. 2017: The program doubles

    TFF fundraising, plus three schools that bought their own equipment, doubled the program to ten tanks across Katy, Cy-Fair, Klein, Houston and Deer Park ISDs.

    1. 2017 Trout in the Classroom

      The program doubles to ten tanks, thanks to club fundraising and three schools that bought their own equipment. Each school gets about 100 rainbow eggs from a Washington state hatchery.

    2. Trout in the Classroom Update

      All ten tanks are going strong, and most of the trout are now free swimming and growing fast.

    3. Trout In The Classroom update

      The mini rainbows are healthy and active, despite a few losses when maintenance crews unplugged filters and chillers. Planning starts for a May release.

  4. 2018: Over 1,200 trout released

    About 1,300 eggs went to 13 classrooms with a hatch rate close to 100%. By season end the program had grown from one tank to 14, from Deer Park to Klein Collins.

    1. 2018 Trout In the Classroom Project

      Roughly 1,300 eggs are collected from TU and delivered to 13 Houston science classrooms, including three new teachers at Mayde Creek and Morton Ranch.

    2. Trout in the Classroom Update

      A hatch rate close to 100%. All 13 tanks have healthy young trout, feeding and ready to move from the egg traps into the main tank.

    3. Trout in the Classroom

      The fry now look like miniature rainbows, complete with parr marks and white tipped fins. Most of them came through spring break without trouble.

    4. Trout In the Classroom Release Date

      The release is set for April 28 on the Guadalupe, the one date that worked for most of the seven high schools.

    5. Trout in the Classroom – Fish Release

      More than 1,200 trout, 2 to 3 inches long, go into the Horseshoe section of the Guadalupe with teachers, students and parents. The program now runs 14 tanks from Deer Park to Klein Collins.

    6. Windknots May 2018

      The May 2018 Windknots newsletter carries a Conservation feature on the season's Trout in the Classroom work.

  5. 2019: Brown trout year

    Fourteen tanks raised brown trout instead of rainbows, following a stocking change on the Guadalupe. A tough hatch still produced hundreds of healthy fry, released near Sattler on May 11.

    1. 2019 Trout In The Classroom Project

      Fourteen tanks start up from Klein Collins to Deer Park. This year the schools raise brown trout instead of rainbows, following a change in stocking policy on the Guadalupe.

    2. Windknots – February 2019

      The February 2019 Windknots newsletter includes an update on the 2019 Trout in the Classroom season.

    3. Trout in the Classroom Update

      A tough hatch: the brown trout eggs came from a new hatchery and losses ran higher than usual. All 14 tanks are still going, with hundreds of baby browns feeding well.

    4. Trout in the Classroom Update

      Lots of happy, healthy brown trout fry, just over a month from release. Club members are invited to help on the Guad.

    5. Trout in the Classroom Release Schedule

      The fry are growing fast, and the release is confirmed for May 11 on the Guadalupe in Sattler.

  6. 2020: Growth, then COVID

    More than 2,000 eggs went to 15 tanks, including new schools in Conroe ISD. When COVID-19 closed schools, volunteers rescued what tanks they could and released the fish early.

    1. 2020 Trout in the Classroom Project

      More than 2,000 rainbow eggs go to 15 tanks across Katy, Deer Park, Conroe and Houston ISDs, with new schools including Paetow HS and Oak Ridge HS. GRTU volunteers Ralph Havis and Doug Spencer pitch in.

    2. Trout in the Classroom update

      Off to a great start: every egg has hatched and the fry are free swimming and feeding well.

    3. Trout in the Classroom Update

      The fish make it through spring break, but COVID-19 closures and disinfecting crews put the tanks at risk. TU starts working on permits for an early release.

    4. Trout In the Classroom Update

      With schools locked down, volunteers rescue as many tanks as they can and release the fish early on the Guadalupe near Canyon Lake.

  7. 2021: Keeping it going

    With live animals banned from most classrooms, the program ran two tanks. The fish survived the February winter storm, and about 100 young rainbows were released near Sattler.

    1. 2021 Trout in the Classroom project begins!

      Pandemic rules keep live animals out of most classrooms, so just two tanks run: Westbury HS and the new Memorial Private HS. Both get plenty of eggs.

    2. Trout in the Classroom Update

      Both schools kept their power through the February winter storm with no losses, though spring break hit one tank hard. A May release is planned.

    3. Trout in the Classroom Fish Release

      About 100 young rainbows, 2 to 3 inches long, are released near Sattler with local TU representatives, at the same spot as earlier years.

  8. 2022: Back to full strength

    The program rebounded to 14 tanks in 10 high schools, marking ten years of TFF working with GRTU. Club volunteers carried eggs across Houston to the schools.

    1. Help needed to distribute trout eggs!

      The eggs arrive January 13, and two volunteers are needed to carry them from Katy HS to Memorial HS and Westbury HS.

    2. 2022 TFF Trout In The Classroom Project

      Fourteen tanks in 10 high schools mark TFF's tenth year working with GRTU. The eggs have hatched into alevin, still living off their yolk sacs.

    3. Trout in the Classroom Update

      An odd year, with some tanks thriving and others crashing or leaking, but several hundred healthy fry remain. The release is planned for May 14 in Sattler.

  9. 2023: From Katy to Pasadena

    After missing equipment, an ice storm and delayed eggs, 15 tanks got running from Katy to Pasadena. TFF volunteers drove the eggs from Sattler to Houston.

    1. Help Needed: Trout in the Classroom Egg Pickup!

      Volunteers are needed to drive the eggs from Sattler to Katy HS on February 2, then run them on to Pasadena, Westbury, Memorial Private and possibly Rosenberg.

    2. Reminder! Help needed for the Trout in the Classroom project!

      A second call for egg pickup and delivery drivers, after the first request went unanswered.

    3. 2023 Trout in the Classroom project begins!

      After missing equipment, an ice storm and delayed eggs, 15 tanks are running in schools from Katy to Pasadena, and the first alevin are hatching.

    4. Trout in the Classroom Update

      A video update: within a couple of weeks the eggs have become a lot of baby trout, still feeding off their yolk sacs.

    5. Trout in the Classroom Fry Release

      About 1,000 rainbow fry are ready to go, with releases on the Guadalupe on April 29 and May 6.

  10. 2024: Nine high schools

    Tanks ran at Katy, Seven Lakes, Pasadena Memorial, Fulshear, Lamar Consolidated, George Ranch, B. F. Terry, Randle and Foster high schools, with releases near Sattler in late April and early May.

    1. TFF 2024 Trout in the Classroom Kickoff

      Tanks are running at nine high schools, from Katy and Seven Lakes to Pasadena Memorial, Fulshear and the Lamar CISD campuses. The eggs are already hatching.

    2. Trout in the Classroom Update

      Every egg has hatched, and the tanks are full of free swimming fry that have used up their yolk sacs.

    3. Trout in the Classroom Fish Release

      The season wraps up with releases near Sattler over two weekends, starting April 27.

  11. 2025: Adding a middle school

    The program grew to 13 school sites, including its first middle school, Barbers Hill. All of the fish were rainbows from a Pacific Northwest hatchery.

    1. 2025 TFF Trout in the Classroom Project

      Eggs reach 13 school sites before the cold weather hits, including the first middle school, Barbers Hill. All the fish are rainbows from a Pacific Northwest hatchery.

    2. Trout in Classroom update

      Despite a few hiccups, all the fish have hatched and the tanks are full of baby trout.

  12. 2026: The biggest year yet

    Several thousand eggs went to 17 sites from Deer Park to New Caney, and Lamar ISD committed to the program in all its high schools. New sponsors will help add schools in 2027.

    1. 2026 TFF Sponsored Trout-in-the-Classroom Project

      Several thousand rainbow eggs go to 17 sites, six of them new, including Deer Park and New Caney. Lamar ISD commits to running the program in all of its high schools.

    2. Trout In the Classroom Update

      All the trout have hatched and are growing fast. The release is targeted for late April or early May.

    3. Trout in the Classroom Fish Release

      More than 2,000 young rainbows are released into the TU section of the Guadalupe. New sponsorship from the Bass Pro Foundation and the Texas Council of FFI will help add schools in 2027.

What is Trout in the Classroom?

Trout in the Classroom is a nationwide environmental education program run by Trout Unlimited, teachers and volunteer groups. Schools receive trout eggs and the equipment to raise them. Students care for the fish through hatching and the fry stage, then release them into a local river. Along the way they learn about freshwater ecology, fish biology and coldwater conservation, and they connect with the natural world outside the classroom.

How TFF supports the program

  • Funding tanks. Money raised through club fundraising, including the annual auction, buys complete tank setups for Houston classrooms.
  • Leading the Houston program. TFF member Matt Blyth coordinates the Houston schools, working with teachers and with GRTU, which supplies the eggs.
  • Volunteering. Members deliver eggs to schools, help with tanks and join students at the spring release on the Guadalupe River near Sattler.
  • Spreading the word. Teachers have joined after hearing about the program from colleagues and from TFF members.

By the numbers

  • 1 tank at Katy HS in the first year
  • 17 school sites at the start of 2026
  • 2,000+ trout released in 2026
  • 15+ years of TFF support, including the COVID years

Get involved

The program runs from January, when the eggs arrive, until the release in late April or early May. You can help by:

  • Delivering eggs from Sattler or Katy to schools around Houston in January
  • Joining the students at the spring release on the Guadalupe
  • Introducing us to high school or middle school science and outdoor education teachers who would like a tank
  • Supporting the club auction and fundraising that pay for new tanks

To get involved, contact program lead Matt Blyth at a monthly meeting or through the club.

Latest Trout in the Classroom news

› All Trout in the Classroom posts

› Read the full year-by-year history of TFF’s support for Trout in the Classroom