Redfish
Sciaenops ocellatus
Thermal window
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In peak season for this water. This tide stage (incoming) matches how they hunt.
Texas (Sep 1 2025–Aug 31 2026): 3/day, 20–28 in slot. One over 28 in per license year with a Red Drum Tag.
Texas · Aransas / Copano / Redfish
Redfish should be the day — flood Copano and Redfish Bay grass — this is the mid-coast skiff day.
Grass-and-oyster working water. Lydia Ann, Copano reefs, Redfish Bay. The mid-coast skiff and wade theater.
- ⚠ This brief is for 2026-05-16, not this morning. Wind is a forecast. Observed water versus the table is a today-only instrument.
Forecast
medium confidence
Forecast brief for Saturday, May 16. Back to this morning
Morning line
Rockport 8.9 on Saturday, May 16. 5 mph SSW. Clear. YOLO day is Wednesday, August 26. Scores are 1–10, not a bite.
incoming · 0.44 ftNOAA hourly · ft MLLW
Wind
OPEN-METEO
From SSW · gust 14
Sky
OPEN-METEO
Clear
Clear
A 20% shower chance is not a cancel. A soaker is.
Moon
0% lit
New
spring range · 0%
Water
No gauge
Water
—
Today’s range 0.5 ft
incoming
0.44 ft MLLW
Wind vs table
Observed − predicted
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No live gauge this hour — the printed tide is the forecast.
Clock
NOAA 8774770
- HighSat 2:42 PM · 0.57
- LowSun 1:26 AM · 0.06
- HighSun 3:29 PM · 0.59
- LowMon 2:21 AM · 0.05
- HighMon 4:30 PM · 0.59
Monthly YOLO day
Wednesday, August 26 · 8.5
Best remaining dry day this month with a real wind forecast — and it is a copper day. waxing gibbous · spring · tide range ~0.4 ft · wind to 13 mph · 1% chance of rain
Next two weeks
Pulling the 14-day strip…
Where
- 8.4
Redfish Bay grass
grass flat · field manual · skinny
The mid-coast skinny game. Incoming floods the grass. Do not fish it like the Laguna.
- — grass flat on a incoming tide is a classic match.
- — In-play: Redfish, Speckled trout.
skiffwadekayakflyspin - 8.4
TX - Army Hole, Matagorda Island WMA
grass flat · saved map · mid
Boat-in designated campsite; TPWD LPU permit. Expedition base. · flats · GULF ATLAS! - FISH
- — grass flat on a incoming tide is a classic match.
- — In-play: Redfish, Speckled trout.
skiffkayakwadeflyspin - 8.4
TX - Pringle Lake (boat-in via POC)
grass flat · saved map · skinny
Storied clear sight-casting backlake. The one guide-trip splurge. · flats · GULF ATLAS! - FISH
- — grass flat on a incoming tide is a classic match.
- — In-play: Redfish, Speckled trout.
skiffkayakwadeflyspin - 8.4
TX - Goose Island State Park
grass flat · saved map · mid
Camp base; kayak St. Charles/Copano. Winter reds + whoopers. · flats · GULF ATLAS! - FISH
- — grass flat on a incoming tide is a classic match.
- — In-play: Redfish, Speckled trout.
skiffkayakwadeflyspin - 8.4
Pringle Lake / Matagorda Island backlakes
grass flat · saved map · skinny
Storied clear-water sight-casting backlake. Gin-clear, grass bottom, reds pushing wakes. Boat/towed-kayak via Port O'Connor. THE one guide-trip splurge. · 4 - FLATS ZONES - NO WADE REQUIRED (green) · Texas coast — corridors, jetties, flats
- — grass flat on a incoming tide is a classic match.
- — In-play: Redfish, Speckled trout.
skiffkayakwadeflyspin - 8.1
TX - Mustang Island SP
pass jetty · saved map · mid
Reservable beach sites; Fish Pass jetty 1 mi up-beach; bayside kayak trail. · camp-surf · GULF ATLAS! - FISH
- — pass jetty on a incoming tide is a classic match.
- — In-play: Redfish, Speckled trout.
structurespinwade
When
Incoming water
10.0Sat 8:00 AM → Sat 12:00 PM
Moving water in the right part of the day.
Outgoing water
9.7Sat 5:00 PM → Sun 2:00 AM
Moving water in the right part of the day.
Incoming water
10.0Sun 3:00 AM → Sun 1:00 PM
Water is moving, but the clock is against you — heat or dark.
Outgoing water
9.7Sun 6:00 PM → Mon 3:00 AM
Moving water in the right part of the day.
Incoming water
10.0Mon 4:00 AM → Mon 2:00 PM
Water is moving, but the clock is against you — heat or dark.
Launch and beach access
Cited to TPWD, Texas GLO beach-access plans, and NPS. 2WD/4WD is the county plan, not a guess.
Goose Island State Park
TPWD state park
Ramp, pier, wade shore. Copano / St. Charles.
Official sourcePackery Channel County Park
Nueces County / TPWD-listed launch
Ramp both sides of the cut. Wade the bars on a moving tide.
Official sourceFulton Harbor
Aransas County / TPWD-listed launch
Copano and Aransas. Goose Island is the other public door.
Official sourceRockport Beach
City of Rockport / GLO beach access
Bay beach, pier, and park. Not a Gulf drive-on corridor.
Official sourceIndian Point Park
San Patricio County / TPWD-listed launch
Corpus / Nueces. Pier and ramp. Winter drum water from the bank.
Official sourcePort Aransas Beach Access 1A
City of Port Aransas / Texas GLO beach access
Typical 2WD when packed. City + GLO plan. Jetties are a short walk north.
Official source
Legal water
No-take and closed water cited to the agency that owns it. Only the Keys box is FKNMS.
No FKNMS polygon in this box. Mainland Florida, Louisiana, Texas, Mexico, and the Bahamas are not Keys sanctuary closures.
Why — and who
- — Tide is incoming from NOAA.
- — Clear. Sky is workable.
- — Wind 5 mph SSW. Castable. Sight-fishing is on if the sun is out.
- — New moon — spring tide range. Marsh and passes usually want the extra current of a spring.
8.4
Speckled trout
Cynoscion nebulosus
Thermal window
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In peak season for this water. This tide stage (incoming) matches how they hunt.
Texas: 3/day, 15–20 in slot. One over 28 in per license year with a Spotted Seatrout Tag (plus bonus). Soft mouth + slot = measure every fish.
Black drum
Pogonias cromis
Thermal window
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Off-season here. This tide stage (incoming) matches how they hunt.
Texas: 5/day, 14–30 in. One over 52 in allowed as part of the bag.
Jack crevalle
Caranx hippos
Thermal window
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Bycatch and beach noise — not the reason you came. In peak season for this water. This tide stage (incoming) matches how they hunt.
Generally unregulated. Still, do not leave a pile.
Regs citedTPWD Outdoor Annual · Sep 1, 2025–Aug 31, 2026 · rolls in 7 days. Texas bag and season roll every September 1. The stamp is the book we cited, not a license.