Black drum
Pogonias cromis
Thermal window
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In peak season for this water. This tide stage (high slack) matches how they hunt.
Texas: 5/day, 14–30 in. One over 52 in allowed as part of the bag.
Texas · Aransas / Copano / Redfish
Redfish are the hunt — pole the remaining water; slack here is short.
Grass-and-oyster working water. Lydia Ann, Copano reefs, Redfish Bay. The mid-coast skiff and wade theater.
- ⚠ This brief is for 2026-12-19, not this morning. Wind is a forecast. Observed water versus the table is a today-only instrument.
Forecast
medium confidence
Forecast brief for Saturday, December 19. Back to this morning
Morning line
Rockport 7.3 on Saturday, December 19. 5 mph S. Clear. YOLO day is Wednesday, August 26. Scores are 1–10, not a bite.
high slack · -0.17 ftNOAA hourly · ft MLLW
Wind
OPEN-METEO
From S · gust 14
Sky
OPEN-METEO
Clear
Clear
A 20% shower chance is not a cancel. A soaker is.
Moon
78% lit
Waxing gibbous
mid range · 78%
Water
No gauge
Water
—
Today’s range 0.3 ft
high slack
-0.17 ft MLLW
Wind vs table
Observed − predicted
—
No live gauge this hour — the printed tide is the forecast.
Clock
NOAA 8774770
- LowSat 9:00 AM · -0.18
- HighSat 11:22 PM · 0.14
- LowSun 9:37 AM · -0.26
- HighSun 11:50 PM · 0.17
- LowMon 10:22 AM · -0.32
Monthly YOLO day
Wednesday, August 26 · 8.6
Best remaining dry day this month with a real wind forecast — and it is a copper day. waxing gibbous · spring · tide range ~0.5 ft · wind to 13 mph · 1% chance of rain
Next two weeks
Pulling the 14-day strip…
Where
- 8.1
Copano Bay reefs
oyster reef · public structure · mid
NOAA 8774513 nearby. Winter trout and mixed drum. Shell that still has water on a blowout.
- — oyster reef on a high slack tide is a workable match.
- — In-play: Speckled trout, Redfish, Black drum.
skiffwadeflyspin - 8.1
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 high slack tide is a workable match.
- — In-play: Redfish, Speckled trout, Black drum.
skiffkayakwadeflyspin - 8.1
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 high slack tide is a workable match.
- — In-play: Redfish, Speckled trout, Black drum.
skiffkayakwadeflyspin - 8.1
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 high slack tide is a workable match.
- — In-play: Redfish, Speckled trout, Black drum.
skiffkayakwadeflyspin - 8.1
TX - Mustang Island SP bayside launch
serpulid reef · saved map · skinny
Shamrock Cove reds year-round. · flats · GULF ATLAS! - FISH
- — serpulid reef on a high slack tide is a workable match.
- — In-play: Redfish, Speckled trout, Black drum.
skiffkayakwadeflyspin - 8.1
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 high slack tide is a workable match.
- — In-play: Redfish, Speckled trout, Black drum.
skiffkayakwadeflyspin
When
Outgoing water
8.1Sun 2:00 AM → Sun 10:00 AM
Water is moving, but the clock is against you — heat or dark.
Incoming water
10.0Sun 12:00 PM → Sun 10:00 PM
Moving water in the right part of the day.
Outgoing water
9.1Mon 2:00 AM → Mon 11:00 AM
Water is moving, but the clock is against you — heat or dark.
Incoming water
10.0Mon 12:00 PM → Mon 11:00 PM
Moving water in the right part of the day.
Outgoing water
9.1Tue 3:00 AM → Tue 12:00 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 high slack from NOAA.
- — Clear. Sky is workable.
- — Wind 5 mph S. Castable. Sight-fishing is on if the sun is out.
- — Waxing gibbous moon — mid tide range. Marsh and passes usually want the extra current of a spring.
8.4
Redfish
Sciaenops ocellatus
Thermal window
—
Present, not peak.
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.
Speckled trout
Cynoscion nebulosus
Thermal window
—
Present, not peak.
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.
Jack crevalle
Caranx hippos
Thermal window
—
Bycatch and beach noise — not the reason you came. Off-season here.
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.