Texas · Corpus Christi Bay

Redfish should be the day — the pass at Port Aransas — this is current water, not a marsh drain.

Packery, Shamrock, Nueces, Mustang backside. Pass water at Port Aransas. Bull reds on the jetties in fall.

⚠ This brief is for 2026-12-28, not this morning. Wind is a forecast. Observed water versus the table is a today-only instrument.

Forecast

low confidence

Forecast brief for Monday, December 28. Back to this morning

Morning line

Corpus 8.6 on Monday, December 28. 11 mph SSE. Clear. Scores are 1–10, not a bite.

Mail it

outgoing · 0.18 ftModeled M2 · not a gauge

Wind

OPEN-METEO

From SSE · gust 16

Sky

OPEN-METEO

Clear

A 20% shower chance is not a cancel. A soaker is.

Moon

80% lit

Waning gibbous

mid range · 80%

Water

No gauge

Water

—

Today’s range 0.5 ft

outgoing

0.18 ft modeled

River

USGS 08211000

69 cfs

Nueces Rv nr Mathis, TX

Discharge into this bay. High water stains the flat.

Wind vs table

No live gauge

—

No live gauge this hour — the printed tide is the forecast.

Clock

NOAA 8775792

HighMon 7:00 AM · 0.22
LowMon 1:00 PM · -0.23
HighMon 7:00 PM · 0.24
LowTue 1:00 AM · -0.24
HighTue 7:00 AM · 0.24

Bahamas tides are modeled from lunar M2. Use them for windows, not a bar crossing.

Stay or drive · Corpus vs Baffin Open the calendar Morning dispatch

Next two weeks

Look at the water, not the table

Full calendar

Tue

Δ0.4ft

Wed

Δ0.3ft

Next two weeks

Pulling the 14-day strip…

Where

Nueces Bay
marsh drain · public structure · mid
9.0
River influence, mud, winter schools.
- — marsh drain on a outgoing tide is a classic match.
- — In-play: Redfish, Black drum, Speckled trout.
skiffspinfly
TX - Mustang Island SP
pass jetty · saved map · mid
9.0
Reservable beach sites; Fish Pass jetty 1 mi up-beach; bayside kayak trail. · camp-surf · GULF ATLAS! - FISH
- — pass jetty on a outgoing tide is a classic match.
- — In-play: Redfish, Speckled trout, Black drum.
structurespinwade
TX - PINS South Beach miles 0-5
pass jetty · saved map · mid
9.0
Free primitive w/ park pass. 2WD-friendly first 5 miles. · camp-surf · GULF ATLAS! - FISH
- — pass jetty on a outgoing tide is a classic match.
- — In-play: Redfish, Speckled trout, Black drum.
structurespinwade
TX - Port Aransas IB Magee Beach Park
pass jetty · saved map · mid
9.0
County campground at the south jetty. Family venue. · camp-surf · GULF ATLAS! - FISH
- — pass jetty on a outgoing tide is a classic match.
- — In-play: Redfish, Speckled trout, Black drum.
structurespinwade
TX - Lighthouse Lakes Trail (SH 361)
mangrove edge · saved map · skinny
9.0
THE Texas kayak flats: mangrove lakes over Redfish Bay grass. · flats · GULF ATLAS! - FISH
- — mangrove edge on a outgoing tide is a classic match.
- — In-play: Redfish, Speckled trout, Black drum.
skiffkayakwadeflyspin
TX - Yarborough Pass (PINS mile 15.5)
pass jetty · saved map · mid
9.0
4WD primitive camp + cross-island Laguna access. Graduate trip. · flats · GULF ATLAS! - FISH
- — pass jetty on a outgoing tide is a classic match.
- — In-play: Redfish, Speckled trout, Black drum.
skiffkayakwadeflyspin

When

Outgoing water
10.0
Mon 8:00 AM → Mon 2:00 PM
Water is moving, but the clock is against you — heat or dark.
Incoming water
10.0
Mon 2:00 PM → Mon 9:00 PM
Moving water in the right part of the day.
Outgoing water
8.1
Mon 9:00 PM → Tue 3:00 AM
Water is moving, but the clock is against you — heat or dark.
Incoming water
8.1
Tue 3:00 AM → Tue 9:00 AM
Water is moving, but the clock is against you — heat or dark.
Outgoing water
10.0
Tue 9:00 AM → Tue 3:00 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 source
Packery Channel County Park
Nueces County / TPWD-listed launch
Ramp both sides of the cut. Wade the bars on a moving tide.
Official source
Malaquite Visitor Center — PINS
NPS Padre Island National Seashore
South Beach driving is 4WD, NPS permit, tires aired down. Closed sections shift after storms. Confirm nps.gov/pais before you drop a tire.
Official source
PINS North Beach
NPS Padre Island National Seashore
North Beach is the easier drive. Still NPS rules, not a county 2WD corridor.
Official source
Fulton Harbor
Aransas County / TPWD-listed launch
Copano and Aransas. Goose Island is the other public door.
Official source
Rockport Beach
City of Rockport / GLO beach access
Bay beach, pier, and park. Not a Gulf drive-on corridor.
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 outgoing (modeled — the NOAA gauge did not answer).
— Clear. Sky is workable.
— Wind 11 mph SSE. Castable. Sight-fishing is on if the sun is out.
— Waning gibbous moon — mid tide range. Marsh and passes usually want the extra current of a spring.

Black drum

Pogonias cromis

8.4

Thermal window

—

In peak season for this water. This tide stage (outgoing) matches how they hunt.

Texas: 5/day, 14–30 in. One over 52 in allowed as part of the bag.

Redfish

Sciaenops ocellatus

6.6

Thermal window

—

Present, not peak. This tide stage (outgoing) 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.

Speckled trout

Cynoscion nebulosus

6.6

Thermal window

—

Present, not peak. This tide stage (outgoing) 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.

Tarpon

Megalops atlanticus

4.8

Thermal window

—

Off-season here. This tide stage (outgoing) matches how they hunt.

Texas: treat as catch-and-release.

Mangrove / gray snapper

Lutjanus griseus

4.8

Thermal window

—

Off-season here. This tide stage (outgoing) matches how they hunt.

Texas: typically 12 in, 4/day under snapper rules — verify TPWD.

Jack crevalle

Caranx hippos

4.8

Thermal window

—

Bycatch and beach noise — not the reason you came. Off-season here. This tide stage (outgoing) 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.