Texas Coast Fishing Report
South end wins. Fish the afternoon push.
Post-front bluebird day. NE wind lays down by midday and the tide turns in near 4 PM. The Pass and jetties are the only places with real water movement on a weak neap; back lakes and Bessie Heights are wind-drained too thin for a bay boat until late day. Skip the north end.
Conditions
| Wind · lake | NE 10–15 kt, easing to 5–10 kt afternoon. SCA on Sabine Lake until 1 AM. |
| Wind · Gulf | NE 15–20 kt easing to 10–15; seas 2–4 ft. SCA nearshore through Sunday morning. |
| Weather | Clear, 68° / 55°, 0% rain, high pressure building. |
| Tide · Texas Point | High 2:24 AM 2.1 ft → Low 3:29 PM 0.7 ft → rising to dark. Coefficient 28 (neap). North end lags 1–3 hrs. |
| Water | 73–77°F, dropping behind the front. |
| Sun | Rise 7:19 AM · Set 6:41 PM |
Launch & windows
Sabine Pass public ramp / Mesquite Point · 29.7645, -93.8980 · in the water by 6:45 AM
- 7:00–10:30 AM — Pass channel ledges on the slow fall, out of the wind · 29.6915, -93.8435
- 1:30–3:30 PM — Keith Lake cut on the last of the outgoing · 29.7753, -93.9438
- 4:00 PM–dark — jetty rocks and Lighthouse Cove on the first incoming push. Best bite of the day · 29.6650, -93.8330 → 29.7193, -93.8517
Sabine Pass channel · south-end ledge
Trolling-motor the 4–10 ft drop with the wind at your back. DSL/paddletail glow-chartreuse on ⅜ oz, dragged slow on bottom for trout and flounder. Work each ledge 20 minutes, then move. Watch ship traffic.
Keith Lake Fish Pass / cut
Anchor on the channel side of the culverts and fish the current seam for reds and flounder, Gulp or live finger mullet on ¼ oz. Draft caution: stay in the cut; Keith Lake proper will be under a foot after a day of NE wind. If the cut is barely moving, go straight to stop 3.
Louisiana jetty inside pocket → Lighthouse Cove
Anchor up-current of the rocks on the Pass side (Gulf side still sloppy early), cut mullet or crab on a Carolina rig for bull reds. Then drift the shell in Lighthouse Cove, 3–6 ft, popping cork and shrimp for trout as the warm water pushes in. Louisiana license on the LA side.
Baits · regs
¼–⅜ oz jigs with DSL/paddletail (glow-chart, red shad) · Gulp for flounder · live shrimp under a cork · cut mullet/crab on 4/0 circle hooks · 15–20 lb braid, 30 lb fluoro.
Texas flounder open through Oct 31 (5 fish, 15" min), closed Nov 1–Dec 14; verify with TPWD.
This week's best days
Best: Sat Oct 24 · runner-up Fri Oct 23
| Day | Score | Wind | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 18 | ●●●○○ | NE 10–15 → 5–10 | Post-front, neap; south end PM |
| Mon 19 | ●●●○○ | NE 5–10 | Calm, still weak tide; Pass/channel |
| Tue 20 | ●●●○○ | E 10–15 g20 | Gulf 2–4 ft; LA shoreline lee |
| Wed 21 | ●●●○○ | NE→E 5–10 | Tides building; mid-lake birds |
| Thu 22 | ●●●●○ | NE→E 5–10 | Coefficient 70, smooth; jetties open |
| Fri 23 | ●●●●○ | Light E | Coefficient 82, daylight movement |
| Sat 24 | ●●●●● | Light S/E | Coefficient 93, pre-full-moon push |
Days 4–7 are lower confidence.
Sources: NWS Lake Charles CWF · Tides4Fishing Texas Point · Captain Experiences Sabine · fishsabine.com · Louisiana Sportsman
Bays are on. Jetties marginal. Surf and Freeport Gulf stay home.
NE 10–15 gusting 20 at dawn, laying to about 10 by noon on a bluebird post-front day. Water drains all day with no incoming until evening. Gulf still 3–5 ft until afternoon. Fish lee shorelines and deep structure, and let Trinity's birds tell you when the shrimp flush.
Conditions
| Wind · bay | NE 10–15 kt g20 AM, slightly choppy → ~10 kt smooth PM. Caution flag until 1 AM. |
| Wind · Gulf | NE 15–20 easing to 15; seas 3–5 ft. SCA until 1 AM. Mon E 15–20, Tue E 15–20 (3–5 ft). |
| Weather | Sunny, dry, lows 50s, highs upper 60s–low 70s, 0% rain. Pier 21 pressure 1024.7 mb. |
| Tide · N Jetty | High 1:22 AM 2.05 ft → Low 3:50 PM 0.49 ft. One long outgoing all daylight. Coefficient 28 (neap). |
| Water | 76.3°F at Pier 21, down from 83–86 two weeks ago. |
| Sun | Rise 7:22 AM · Set 6:45 PM |
Launch & windows
Eagle Point, San Leon · 29.4965, -94.9102 (approx.) · launch 6:45 AM. Alt: Texas City Dike 29.3867, -94.8747.
- 7:00–10:30 AM — strongest outgoing plus the morning major; Trinity lee shore drains · 29.7200, -94.7200
- 10:30 AM–1:00 PM — ship channel spoils and Redfish Island on moving water · 29.5200, -94.8800
- 3:00–6:45 PM — low turning to slack, calmest wind, evening major; Dike flats and Moses Lake cut · 29.4327, -94.8905
Trinity Bay NE shore drains · Jacks Pocket / Anahuac Pocket
Lee shoreline in the NE wind; north wind plus falling tide empties the marsh. Reds and flounder at bayou mouths, live shrimp under a popping cork or ¼ oz jig and soft plastic. Watch for birds over open Trinity (29.6500, -94.7800) mid-morning as shrimp flush.
Ship Channel spoils · Redfish Island & gas wells, Upper Bay
Trout on deep structure and edges while water is moving. Free-lined or Carolina-rigged live shrimp; recent reports have the Upper Bay trout on live shrimp over deep structure, best early.
Texas City Dike flats · Moses Lake cut & Dollar Point
Flounder and reds in the cut on the last of the fall, Gulp or mud minnow dragged slow. If the Gulf lays down: Galveston jetties bull reds (29.3400, -94.7200, cracked crab or cut mullet) or Seawolf Park cut flounder (29.3300, -94.7800).
Baits · regs
Live shrimp under a popping cork · ¼ oz jig with soft plastic · Gulp / mud minnow for flounder · cracked crab and cut mullet for jetty bulls.
Flounder open through Oct 31. Gulf red snapper closes Oct 25.
This week's best days
Best: Fri Oct 23 · runner-up Thu Oct 22
| Day | Score | Wind | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 18 | ●●●○○ | NE 10–15 g20 → 10 | Bays fine, neap, Gulf rough |
| Mon 19 | ●●●○○ | NE 10–15 | Choppy bay, Gulf 2–4 ft |
| Tue 20 | ●●○○○ | E 15–20 | Caution flags, 3–5 ft Gulf |
| Wed 21 | ●●●●○ | E 5–10 | Semi-diurnal tides return, coef 56 |
| Thu 22 | ●●●●○ | E 5–10 | Coef 70, seas 2–3 ft, water warming |
| Fri 23 | ●●●●● | Light E | Coef 82, jetties/nearshore open |
| Sat 24 | ●●●●○ | Light SE | Coef 93, strongest movement |
Days 4–7 are lower confidence.
Sources: NWS Houston/Galveston CWF · HGX forecast discussion · Tides4Fishing Galveston · NDBC Pier 21 · Captain Experiences Galveston · Trinity Bay reports
Morning fall at the pass, then the coves as the wind dies.
Post-front sunny day with a strong morning outgoing at San Luis Pass: 1.78 ft at 2:21 AM down to 0.63 ft at 3:55 PM. Bull red run is in full swing at the pass and flounder are stacking at the drains. Bay chop is manageable and lays down by afternoon; the Gulf is 3–5 ft, so stay inside the bridge.
Conditions
| Wind · bay | NE 10–15 kt g20 AM, easing to ~10 kt PM; choppy → smooth by afternoon. Sun night E 10. |
| Wind · Gulf | NE 15–20 kt, seas 3–5 ft. No beachfront; do not run the bar. |
| Weather | Sunny, 75° / 58°, dry post-front air. Mon 78, Tue–Fri 79–80 with E winds. |
| Tide · San Luis Pass | High 2:21 AM 1.78 ft → Low 3:55 PM 0.63 ft → incoming to 2:40 AM Mon. Single diurnal cycle, ~1.15 ft range, falling all morning. |
| Water | 80.8°F pre-front at the pass; expect mid–upper 70s Sunday. |
| Sun | Rise 7:23 AM · Set 6:47 PM · moon 60% waxing |
Launch & windows
San Luis Pass County Park ramp (west end of the bridge) · 29.0787, -95.1305 (approx.) · launch 6:45 AM. Alt: Jamaica Beach 29.1887, -94.9798; Sea Isle 29.1453, -95.0469.
- 7:00–11:00 AM — falling tide, flounder and bull reds at the drains and pass edges · 29.0828, -95.1223
- 11:00 AM–2:30 PM — Christmas Bay reefs in the lee on the tail of the fall · 29.0827, -95.1697
- 3:00 PM–sunset — first push of green Gulf water into the West Bay coves and Carancahua Reef · 29.1750, -95.0100 · 29.2105, -94.9974
San Luis Pass inside channel · Cold Pass / Mud Island drains
Bull reds on the 4–12 ft channel edges where the water is moving: cut mullet or crab, Carolina-rigged, anchored up-current. Flounder at the 2–4 ft drain mouths on Gulp or a live mud minnow dragged slowly on ¼ oz. Safety: the outgoing runs 3+ kt mid-morning against the NE wind and 3–5 ft Gulf seas; shoals shift on both sides of the bridge. Stay inside the bridge, do not anchor in the main channel, and pull off if breakers build at the mouth.
Christmas Bay north-shore reefs and grass
In the lee of the NE wind, 2–4 ft. Trout and slot reds on live shrimp under a popping cork, topwaters while the light is low, then soft plastics along the shell edges. Reports from last week had "action aplenty" here.
West Bay Galveston-side coves · Carancahua Reef · Karankawa Cut
2–5 ft; the shoreline chop eases as the wind drops. Drift the coves and scattered shell on the incoming for trout and reds: live shrimp, ¼ oz Down South or Saltwater Assassin, Corkys over the shell. Wade the coves if the water clears.
Baits · regs
Live shrimp under a cork · cut mullet / blue crab for bulls · mud minnows and Gulp for flounder · ¼ oz soft plastics · topwaters early.
Flounder open through Oct 31, closed Nov 1–Dec 14; verify with TPWD. One oversized red per year on the tag.
This week's best days
Best: Thu Oct 22 · runner-up Wed Oct 21
| Day | Score | Wind | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 18 | ●●●○○ | NE 10–15 g20 → 10 | Good fall at the pass, Gulf 3–5 ft |
| Mon 19 | ●●●○○ | E 10–15 | Bay slightly choppy, Gulf 2–4 |
| Tue 20 | ●●○○○ | E 15–20 | Chop, Gulf 3–5 ft |
| Wed 21 | ●●●●○ | E 5–10 | Smooth bays; tides mixed |
| Thu 22 | ●●●●○ | E 5–10 | Smooth, building tides, water warming |
| Fri 23 | ●●●○○ | Light E | Good if winds hold |
| Sat 24 | ●●●●○ | Light SE | Range building toward Oct 27 springs |
Days 4–7 are lower confidence.
Sources: NWS Houston/Galveston CWF · Tide-Forecast San Luis Pass · Galveston Daily News fishing report · Captain Experiences West Bay · FishingBooker Galveston · NOAA CO-OPS 8771972 / 8771341
Drains at first light, then drift the shell and watch for birds.
NE 10–15 gusting 20 laying down to about 10 by afternoon, sunny, and a single long falling tide. The front just started pushing shrimp out of the marsh, so East Bay's bird action is live: mixed trout and big reds under working terns over the mid-bay shell. The NE wind stacks a wind blow-out on top of the falling tide on the north shore, so fish those drains early and get out before they go dry. Gulf is 3–5 ft; stay off the surf and the Gulf side of the cuts.
Conditions
| Wind · bay | NE 10–15 kt g20 AM, easing to ~10 kt afternoon; slightly choppy → smooth. Caution flag ends 1 AM. |
| Wind · Gulf | NE 15–20 kt, seas 3–5 ft (E 4 ft @ 7 s). SCA until 1 AM. Tue 4–6 ft. |
| Weather | Sunny, 76° / 61°, dry post-front air, cool clear morning. |
| Tide · Matagorda entrance | High 3:26 AM 1.90 ft → Low 3:09 PM 0.67 ft (~1.2 ft range). East Bay lags 1–3 hrs and mostly breathes at Mitchell's and Brown Cedar Cuts; the north shore and back lakes drain on the wind as well. |
| Water | 79.9°F at the entrance Saturday night; a few degrees cooler Sunday. |
| Sun | Rise 7:27 AM · Set 6:52 PM · first-quarter moon, dark early run |
Launch & windows
Matagorda Harbor · 28.6934, -95.9583 (approx.) · launch 6:45 AM. Alt: Sargent / Caney Creek 28.7713, -95.6183 for the east end.
- 7:00–10:30 AM — falling water along Hog Island (bay side, Matagorda Peninsula); reds and some flounder · 28.6508, -95.8732
- 10:30 AM–2:00 PM — mid-bay shell drifts, Chinquapin / Oyster Farm to Raymond Shoal, watch for terns as the wind eases · 28.6615, -95.8539 → 28.6742, -95.8983
- 3:00–6:00 PM — bottom of the tide into the evening calm at Brown Cedar Cut for flounder and reds · 28.7288, -95.6928
Hog Island (bay side, Matagorda Peninsula)
1–3 ft grass and mud. Reds on the falling water at the drain mouths: trolling-motor the shoreline with a DOA Shrimp, She Pup or Super Spook Jr., or live shrimp under a popping cork over the scattered shell. Water is dropping fast on the NE wind; stay in the channels and don't get trapped in the back.
Chinquapin reefs · Oyster Farm → Raymond Shoal
Drift the 4–6 ft shell with Down South or Bass Assassin on ¼ oz, slow-sinking. Shrimp are stacked in the marsh and the front just started pushing them out; expect scattered bird groups with trout and big reds mixed (circling terns usually mean reds). Move to the birds, then back to the shell line when they lift.
Baits · regs
Live shrimp from Rawlings · Gulp shrimp · Down South / Bass Assassin on ¼ oz · DOA Shrimp · She Pup / Spook Jr. early.
Flounder open through Oct 31, closed Nov 1–Dec 14; verify with TPWD.
This week's best days
Best: Sun Oct 18 · runner-up Mon Oct 19 (morning)
| Day | Score | Wind | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 18 | ●●●●○ | NE 10–15 → 10 | Best tide of the week, birds, calm evening |
| Mon 19 | ●●●●○ | NE 10–15 | Good morning fall; Gulf 15–20 |
| Tue 20 | ●●●○○ | NE/E 15–20 | Showers, choppy bay |
| Wed 21 | ●●●○○ | E 10–15 | Seas 2–4, tide flattening |
| Thu 22 | ●●○○○ | E 10–15 | Range under 0.4 ft |
| Fri 23 | ●●○○○ | Light E | Neap, little movement at the cuts |
| Sat 24 | ●●●○○ | Light | Range starting to rebuild |
Days 4–7 are lower confidence.
Sources: NWS HGX CWF · TSFMag — Matagorda, October · Captain Experiences East Matagorda · NWS Matagorda point forecast · NOAA CO-OPS 8773767
Big falling tide, back-lake drains flushing shrimp. Stay inside.
NE 10–15 easing to 10, sunny, and the best tidal movement on the coast today: the entrance falls 1.9 to 0.7 ft by mid-afternoon, reinforced by the north wind. Reds and drum at the Espiritu Santo and Matagorda Island drains on live shrimp have been the pattern all week. The Gulf is 3–5 ft under a Small Craft Advisory; do not run Pass Cavallo or the POC jetties.
Conditions
| Wind · bays | Matagorda Bay NE 10–15 g20 AM → ~10 PM, smooth by afternoon. San Antonio / Espiritu Santo NE 5–10, smooth. |
| Wind · Gulf | NE 15–20 kt, seas 3–5 ft (E 4 ft @ 7 s). SCA until 1 AM; Tue builds to 4–6 ft. |
| Weather | Sunny, 74° / 63°, NNE 8–15 g21, no rain through Monday. |
| Tide · Matagorda entrance | High 3:26 AM 1.90 ft → Low 3:09 PM 0.67 ft (1.23 ft range). POC inside: high 5:47 AM → low 6:32 PM. Range shrinks to near-flat Oct 22–23. |
| Water | Port O'Connor 72.0°F (down ~7° behind the front); Matagorda entrance 79.2°F. |
| Sun | Rise 7:27 AM · Set 6:52 PM · majors 6:18–8:18 AM, 6:37–8:37 PM |
Launch & windows
Froggies, Port O'Connor · 28.4319, -96.4331 (approx.) · launch 6:45 AM. West Matagorda side: Palacios Harbor 28.6981, -96.2201.
- 7:00–10:30 AM — falling tide dumping the back lakes, morning major, wind still lively; Saluria / Big Bayou drains · 28.3950, -96.4200
- 10:30 AM–1:00 PM — Pringle / Contee Lake drains and Espiritu Santo shell · 28.3164, -96.5144
- 3:00–6:30 PM — wind lays, bottom of the tide, minor into the evening major; Pass Cavallo inside edge / Decros Point · 28.3787, -96.3997
Saluria Bayou / Big Bayou drains · Espiritu Santo, Matagorda Island shore
Drains flushing shrimp out of the back lakes: reds and black drum. Live shrimp under a popping cork, Gulp or cut mullet on bottom at the drain mouths. Anchor up-current and let the bait wash to the mouth.
Pringle / Contee Lake drains & Espiritu Santo shell
Protected from the NE. Drift or trolling-motor the 2–4 ft grass and shell. Down South / Bass Assassin on ⅛–¼ oz; topwater while the light is low. Watch depth in the lakes as the water keeps leaving.
Pass Cavallo inside edge · Decros Point shoreline
Reds and flounder along the sand-and-grass edge where the pass current meets the bay, 2–6 ft. Anchor up-current on the bay side and work Gulp or live shrimp along the drop; trout on the first incoming over the adjacent grass. Stay inside the pass; the Gulf side is 3–5 ft and the bar shifts.
Baits · regs
Live shrimp under a popping cork · cut mullet / skipjack for back-lake reds · Down South and Bass Assassin on ⅛–¼ oz · Gulp for flounder.
Flounder open through Oct 31, closed Nov 1–Dec 14.
This week's best days
Best: Sun Oct 18 · runner-up Mon Oct 19 · next window Oct 24–25
| Day | Score | Wind | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 18 | ●●●●○ | NE 10–15 → 10 | Strong fall, sunny, drains on |
| Mon 19 | ●●●●○ | NE 10–15 | Still good movement, dry |
| Tue 20 | ●●●○○ | E 15–20 | Showers PM, shrinking tide |
| Wed 21 | ●●●○○ | E 10–15 | Weakening range |
| Thu 22 | ●●○○○ | NE/E 10 | Near-flat neap |
| Fri 23 | ●●○○○ | Light E | Neap, weak movement |
| Sat 24 | ●●●●○ | Light | Range rebuilds, winds easing |
Days 4–7 are lower confidence.
Sources: NWS HGX CWF · NWS Corpus Christi CWF · Tide-Forecast POC · Captain Experiences Matagorda · FishingBooker POC · NOAA CO-OPS 8773767 / 8773701
Light post-front north wind, smooth bays, thin tide.
N/NE 5–10, sunny and 77. The only drawback is a weak neap tide (coefficient 28) and low water pushed out by the wind, so fish current seams, passes and drains rather than flats edges. Gulf still 3–5 ft; work the jetties from the channel side only.
Conditions
| Wind · bays | Copano / Aransas / Redfish NE 5–10 kt, smooth to slightly choppy; Mon–Tue NE 10–15. |
| Wind · Gulf | NE 10–15 g20, seas 3–5 occasionally 6 ft. SCA until 1 AM. Mon–Wed 4–5 ft. |
| Weather | Sunny, 77° / 60°, N 7–9 mph, no rain. Mon 81, Tue 83 with 20% PM storms. |
| Tide · Port Aransas | High 3:33 AM 1.59 ft → Low 3:21 PM 0.65 ft; slow ebb all morning, weak flood after. Rockport high 7:59 AM → low 7:49 PM. Coefficient 28. |
| Water | Port Aransas 76.1°F, Rockport 76.6°F, cooling. |
| Sun | Rise 7:30 AM · Set 6:56 PM · majors ~7:00–9:00 AM, ~7:30–9:30 PM |
Launch & windows
Conn Brown Harbor, Aransas Pass · 27.9103, -97.1333 (approx.) · launch 6:45 AM. Alt: Cove Harbor, Rockport 27.9935, -97.0750.
- 7:00–10:30 AM — sunrise major with the ebb running, lightest wind; Lydia Ann / Traylor Island · 27.8703, -97.0480
- 10:30 AM–1:00 PM — late ebb at the Port A jetties (channel side) or Estes Flats drains · 27.8370, -97.0450 · 27.9520, -97.0858
- 2:30–5:00 PM — low turn and first flood, wind laying to NE 5–10; Shamrock Cove · 27.7561, -97.1622
Lydia Ann Channel · Traylor Island shoreline
Reds and trout along the grass edge and channel drop, 2–6 ft. Reds have been schooling in the passes and trout holding on heavy grass near deep water. Gold spoon, live shrimp under a popping cork, 4" paddletail. Trolling-motor the edge with the current.
Port A jetties, channel side · or Estes Flats drains
Bull reds in the pass on cut mullet or piggy perch; flounder starting to move toward the pass, Gulp or live mud minnow on a jighead along the rock edges and drain mouths. Stay inside the rocks; the Gulf side is 3–5 ft.
Shamrock Cove · Mustang Island shoreline, Corpus Christi Bay
Protected from N/NE. Reds and trout in potholes along the grass, 1.5–3 ft; topwater on the turn, then soft plastics. Alt if the wind lies down early: Estes Flats potholes (27.9520, -97.0858).
Baits · regs
Live shrimp / popping cork · gold spoon for reds · cut mullet for bulls at the pass · ⅛ oz jig with paddletail or straight-tail · Gulp for flounder · fresh dead crab for black drum on channel edges.
Flounder open through Oct 31, closed Nov 1–Dec 14.
This week's best days
Best: Sat Oct 24 · runner-up Fri Oct 23
| Day | Score | Wind | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 18 | ●●●○○ | N/NE 5–10 | Smooth bays, neap (28) |
| Mon 19 | ●●●○○ | NE 10–15 | Coef 32, still weak |
| Tue 20 | ●●●○○ | NE 8–13 g18 | 20% PM storms, coef 43 |
| Wed 21 | ●●●○○ | E 5–10 | Smooth bays, coef 56, Gulf 4–5 ft |
| Thu 22 | ●●●●○ | Light E | Coef 70, movement returns |
| Fri 23 | ●●●●○ | Light E/SE | Coef 82 |
| Sat 24 | ●●●●● | Light SE | Coef 93 → 99 full moon Sun |
Days 4–7 are lower confidence.
Sources: NWS Corpus Christi CWF · Tides4Fishing Port Aransas · Captain Experiences Corpus · Rockport reports · NOAA CO-OPS 8775237 / 8774770
Flat bays, low wind-tide, fish stacked on the drop-offs.
Light post-front north wind going NE 5–10 by afternoon, sunny and 76, with 76–77° water. Two days of north wind have pushed the Laguna down, so fish are concentrated where grass falls into deeper water: the King Ranch shoreline, Baffin's rocks, and the channel edges at Packery. No advisory on the bays; the Gulf is 3–5 ft, so stay inside. Best bay day of the week.
Conditions
| Wind · bays | N 10–15 kt becoming NE 5–10 kt in the afternoon; slightly choppy → smooth. No SCA. Mon–Tue NE 10–15. |
| Wind · Gulf | Baffin to Port A: NE 10–15 g20, seas 3–5 occasionally 6 ft. SCA until 1 AM. Better Mon AM at 3–5. |
| Weather | Sunny, 76° / 67°, N 10–13 mph fading. Classic blue-norther fade. |
| Tide · Packery Channel | High 8:11 AM 1.05 ft → Low 9:06 PM 0.57 ft; one cycle, falling all day, ~0.5 ft range, weak coefficient. The Laguna and Baffin run on wind tide; expect low water on the flats. |
| Water | Baffin Bay 76.8°F Saturday night; cooling. |
| Sun | Rise 7:31 AM · Set 6:57 PM |
Launch & windows
Marker 37 · 27.6350, -97.2381 · launch 6:45 AM. Baffin direct: Kaufer-Hubert / Loyola Beach 27.3192, -97.6824. Alt: Bird Island Basin 27.4732, -97.3095.
- 10:30 AM–1:00 PM — Baffin north-shore rocks, Cathead to Starvation Point, as the NE lightens · 27.2944, -97.4636 → 27.2898, -97.5460
- 4:00–7:00 PM — Packery Channel edges and jetty rocks on the evening fall; flounder and reds in the pass · 27.6248, -97.2147
Baffin Bay rocks · Cathead to Starvation Point
Anchor or drift the 3–5 ft serpulid rock reefs for big trout: Bass Assassin / Down South on ⅛ oz, or live croaker and piggy perch if you can get them. Alazan and Cayo del Grullo shorelines (Riviera Beach ramp 27.2889, -97.6617) for reds if the wind dies. The rocks are unmarked prop-killers; idle and watch.
Packery Channel · edges and jetty rocks
Anchor the channel edges and rocks in 6–15 ft. Live shrimp or Gulp on a jighead bounced along the bottom for flounder; cut mullet for reds. Alt for reds: Shamrock Island (27.7636, -97.1699) or Ingleside Cove (27.8386, -97.2303). Watch JFK Causeway weekend traffic at Marker 37 and Bluff's.
Baits · regs
Gold spoon for reds · 5" paddletails and Down South · topwater early · live shrimp under a popping cork · live croaker / piggy perch on the rocks · cut mullet and Gulp for flounder.
Flounder open through Oct 31, closed Nov 1–Dec 14; verify with TPWD. Bird Island Basin is a PINS fee area.
This week's best days
Best: Sun Oct 18 · runner-up Wed Oct 21 (morning)
| Day | Score | Wind | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 18 | ●●●●○ | N 10–15 → NE 5–10 | Flat bays, cleanest water, edges loaded |
| Mon 19 | ●●●○○ | NE 10–15 | Fair; 50% showers |
| Tue 20 | ●●○○○ | NE 10–15 g20 | Breezier, storms |
| Wed 21 | ●●●●○ | E 5–10 → 10–15 | Smooth morning on the Laguna |
| Thu 22 | ●●●○○ | Light E | Lunar tide ~0.1 ft; wind tide only |
| Fri 23 | ●●●○○ | Light SE | Water returning to the flats |
| Sat 24 | ●●●●○ | Light SE | Building toward the full moon |
Days 4–7 are lower confidence.
Sources: NWS Corpus Christi CWF · NWS Corpus point forecast · Captain Experiences Upper Laguna · Baffin Bay reports · Packery Channel reports · NOAA CO-OPS 8775792 / 8776604
Fish the lee shorelines early; the evening is the window.
Post-front north wind at 10–15 kt gusting into the 20s at first light, easing to 7–11 by evening. That is fishable on the west side and lee shorelines of the Lower Laguna, with a 1.4 ft fall out of Brazos Santiago all morning and a slow flood after 3 PM. The north wind has drained the Mansfield and Land Cut flats and stacked water toward Port Isabel. The Gulf is 5–7 ft with a Small Craft Advisory; jetty tips and the East Cut mouth are a no-go. Live shrimp is scarce, buy early.
Conditions
| Wind · Laguna | N 10–15 kt (gusts to 23 at Mansfield early), easing to NE 7–11 kt by evening; 20% PM showers. Mon NNE 9–13, 40% rain. |
| Wind · Gulf | Baffin to the Rio Grande: seas 5–7 ft, occasionally 9. SCA until 1 AM. Drops to 2–3 ft Mon–Tue nearshore. |
| Weather | Partly sunny, 74° / 69°. Storms Mon–Wed. |
| Tide · Brazos Santiago | High 1:26 AM 2.00 ft → Low 3:01 PM 0.57 ft (1.43 ft range), slow flood through evening. Mansfield runs about an hour later at half the range. Away from the passes the Laguna is wind-tide. |
| Water | 76.6°F at Brazos Santiago Saturday night. |
| Sun | Rise 7:29 AM · Set 6:57 PM · moon 60% waxing |
Launch & windows
Port Mansfield public ramp / Harbor · 26.5527, -97.4282 (approx.) · launch 7:00 AM. South launch: Pirate's Landing, Port Isabel 26.0788, -97.2069; Adolph Thomae Park, Arroyo City 26.3499, -97.3910.
- 7:30–10:30 AM — falling water on the Mansfield west shoreline and Saucer, reds pushed into potholes · 26.5160, -97.3700
- 11:00 AM–3:00 PM — bottom of the tide on the East Cut spoil edges, trout and flounder staging on the outflow · 26.5601, -97.2983
- 4:00–7:00 PM — wind laying, first flood; South Bay flats and the Brownsville ship-channel rocks from Port Isabel · 26.0252, -97.1838
The Saucer · Mansfield west shoreline
1–3 ft grass and sand potholes. The flats have drained, so sight-cast the reds that dropped into the potholes: pole or drift downwind, Gulp or paddletail on ⅛ oz, weedless gold spoon. Wade the edges once the sun is up. Expect 6–12" less water than normal; run the marked channels and idle in off the ICW.
East Cut spoil edges
3–6 ft. Trout and flounder on the outflow: anchor up-current of the drop-offs, Carolina-rig live shrimp or finger mullet, or bounce a ¼ oz jig with a soft plastic on bottom; flounder on the sand and shell edges nearest the Cut. Stay inside the Cut; the outflow current is strong on the fall and the jetty tips have 5–7 ft breakers.
South Bay flats and the ship-channel rocks
1.5–3 ft with wind-stacked water on the west shoreline. Drift a popping cork and live shrimp for trout and reds, topwater late for trout, and work the Brownsville ship-channel rocks at dusk for snook. Black drum are thick on the ICW if the trout are slow. Stay east of the ship-channel centerline and clear of Mexican waters.
Baits · regs
Live shrimp (buy early), finger mullet, croaker if you can get it · soft plastics in plum/chartreuse and pearl · weedless gold spoon · Super Spook Jr / Skitter Walk · Gulp 3" shrimp for flounder.
Flounder open through Oct 31, closed Nov 1–Dec 14; verify with TPWD. Snook: 1 fish, 24–28" slot.
This week's best days
Best: Mon Oct 19 (morning) · runner-up Sun Oct 18 (evening) · Thu Oct 22 for the jetties
| Day | Score | Wind | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 18 | ●●●○○ | N 10–15 → NE 7–11 | Lee shorelines; evening calm; Gulf 5–7 ft |
| Mon 19 | ●●●●○ | NNE 9–13 | Nearshore 2–3 ft, good range; 40% rain |
| Tue 20 | ●●○○○ | E 10–15 | Storms, lightning risk |
| Wed 21 | ●●○○○ | E 10–15 | Storms, range shrinking |
| Thu 22 | ●●●●○ | Light E | Clearing, seas 3–4 ft; best jetty shot |
| Fri 23 | ●●●○○ | Light E/SE | Semidiurnal, weak range |
| Sat 24 | ●●●●○ | Light SE | Range rebuilds, flats refilling |
Days 4–7 are lower confidence.
Sources: NWS Brownsville CWF · NWS Port Mansfield point forecast · Tide-Forecast South Padre · Captain Experiences Port Mansfield · South Padre reports · TSFMag Port Mansfield · NOAA CO-OPS 8779749