Redfish
Sciaenops ocellatus
Thermal window
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In peak season for this water. 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.
Texas · Galveston Bay
Redfish should be the day — fish the wind-blown shoreline — the table is not the tide here.
Largest Texas estuary. Trinity, East, West, and Christmas bays. Wind often moves more water than the tide table. Home water for drum, sheep, trout, and reds.
- ⚠ This brief is for 2026-04-17. No wind forecast that far out — score is tide, moon, and season. Not a copper day.
Tide + moon
low confidence
Forecast brief for Friday, April 17. Back to this morning
Morning line
Galveston 8.9 on Friday, April 17 — tide, moon, and season only. No wind forecast that far out. Scores are 1–10, not a bite.
outgoing · -0.21 ft · drag or hover for the clockModeled M2 clock — no NOAA gauge on this water. Not a buoy.
Wind
NWS
No wind reading
Sky
NWS
Sky not in
Sky not in
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 0.7 ft
outgoing
-0.21 ft modeled
River
USGS 08066500
1,400 cfs
Trinity Rv at Romayor, TX
Discharge into this bay. High water stains the flat.
Wind vs table
No live gauge
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No live gauge this hour — the printed tide is the forecast.
Clock
NOAA 8771450
- HighFri 4:00 AM · 0.36
- LowFri 10:00 AM · -0.36
- HighFri 4:00 PM · 0.36
- LowFri 11:00 PM · -0.36
- HighSat 5:00 AM · 0.38
Bahamas tides are modeled from lunar M2. Use them for windows, not a bar crossing.
Next two weeks
Pulling the 14-day strip…
Where
This pip is that mark on this tide — not the day on the ring.
- 9.0
Galveston North Jetty
pass jetty · public structure · deep
Winter sheep on granite. Fall bulls. Midday tide on the rocks.
- — pass jetty on a outgoing tide is a classic match.
- — In-play: Sheepshead, Redfish, Speckled trout.
structurespinfly - 9.0
Trinity Bay shoreline
marsh drain · field manual · mid
River stain after rain. Drains and mud. Winter drum mix with reds.
- — marsh drain on a outgoing tide is a classic match.
- — In-play: Redfish, Black drum, Speckled trout.
skiffspinfly - 9.0
Bolivar Roads Channel
pass jetty · public structure · deep
USGS GNIS 1384775. The ship-channel throat between Galveston and Bolivar. Current over granite. Not a wade.
USGS GNIS 1384775
- — pass jetty on a outgoing tide is a classic match.
- — In-play: Redfish, Speckled trout, Sheepshead.
structureskiffspinfly - 9.0
TX - Bolivar Peninsula west end / North Jetty
pass jetty · saved map · mid
$10 annual sticker, camp anywhere. Wide sand near Rettilon Rd; walk to North Jetty. · camp-surf · GULF ATLAS! - FISH
- — pass jetty on a outgoing tide is a classic match.
- — In-play: Redfish, Speckled trout, Black drum, Sheepshead.
structureskiffspinfly - 9.0
TX - Follets Island CR 257 (free camping)
pass jetty · saved map · mid
Free, no permit, 14-day max. Fish San Luis Pass gulf-side at dawn. · camp-surf · GULF ATLAS! - FISH
- — pass jetty on a outgoing tide is a classic match.
- — In-play: Redfish, Speckled trout, Black drum, Sheepshead.
structurespinwade - 9.0
Bolivar Peninsula beach - drivable/campable
pass jetty · saved map · mid
$10 annual sticker, camp anywhere along ~27 mi. West end near Rettilon Rd is widest and house-free. NOTE: Rollover Pass was filled in - gone. · 1 - BEACH CORRIDORS (yellow=2WD, orange=4WD, red=Big Shell) · Texas coast — corridors, jetties, flats
- — pass jetty on a outgoing tide is a classic match.
- — In-play: Redfish, Speckled trout, Black drum, Sheepshead.
structurespinwade
When
When is moving water in a good hour — not the day. Today’s ring mixes the best mark, the lead fish, and the best window, then taxes the sky. A strong incoming can sit under a weak day if the wind or the fish is off. Calendar cells are a third recipe: range, moon, and the day’s forecast.
Outgoing water
9.4Fri 8:00 AM → Fri 12:00 PM
Moving water in the right part of the day.
Incoming water
9.1Fri 11:00 AM → Fri 6:00 PM
Water is moving, but the clock is against you — heat or dark.
Outgoing water
9.1Fri 6:00 PM → Sat 12:00 AM
Moving water in the right part of the day.
Incoming water
8.0Sat 12:00 AM → Sat 7:00 AM
Water is moving, but the clock is against you — heat or dark.
Outgoing water
9.4Sat 6:00 AM → Sat 1:00 PM
Moving water in the right part of the day.
Launch and beach access
Cited to TPWD, Texas GLO beach-access plans, and NPS. 2WD/4WD is the county plan, not a guess.
Seawolf Park
TPWD / Galveston Parks — public ramp & pier
Pelican Island. Ramp, pier, jetty-adjacent. County park fees.
Official sourceSan Luis Pass County Park
Brazoria County / GLO beach-access system
Follets Island. Ramp and beach. Current at the pass — wade with respect.
Official sourceGalveston East Beach
City of Galveston / Texas GLO beach access
Drive-on beach. 2WD when packed; 4WD after rain. GLO + city plan, not a TPWD ramp.
Official sourceGalveston 61st Street / Offatts Bayou
City of Galveston / TPWD-listed launch
West Bay and Offatts. Trailer traffic. The bay side of the island.
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 — NOAA 8771450 Galveston Pier 21 did not answer).
- — New moon — spring tide range. Marsh and passes usually want the extra current of a spring.
8.4
Speckled trout
Cynoscion nebulosus
Thermal window
—
In peak season for this water. 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.
Black drum
Pogonias cromis
Thermal window
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Present, not peak. This tide stage (outgoing) matches how they hunt.
Texas: 5/day, 14–30 in. One over 52 in allowed as part of the bag.
Sheepshead
Archosargus probatocephalus
Thermal window
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Present, not peak. This tide stage (outgoing) matches how they hunt.
Texas: 5/day, 15 in minimum.
Jack crevalle
Caranx hippos
Thermal window
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Bycatch and beach noise — not the reason you came. Present, not peak. 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.