On This Water

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 2026-08-27, not this morning. Wind is a forecast. Observed water versus the table is a today-only instrument.
7.6OF 10

Forecast

low confidence

Forecast brief for Thursday, August 27. Back to this morning

Morning line

Galveston 7.6 on Thursday, August 27. 12 mph WSW. Overcast. YOLO day is Wednesday, August 26. Scores are 1–10, not a bite.

Mail it
-0.7-0.4-0.00.30.7LHLHLHLHThu 7 AMFri 7 AMSat 7 AMSun 7 AM
outgoing · -0.37 ftModeled M2 · not a gauge

Wind

OPEN-METEO

NESW12MPH

From WSW · gust 14

Sky

2% rain

Clouds

Overcast

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

Moon

100% lit

Full

spring range · 100%

Water

No gauge

Water

48°92°

Today’s range 0.8 ft

outgoing

-0.37 ft modeled

River

USGS 08066500

1,410 cfs

Trinity Rv at Romayor, 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 8771450

  • LowThu 9:00 AM · -0.39
  • HighThu 3:00 PM · 0.38
  • LowThu 9:00 PM · -0.36
  • HighFri 4:00 AM · 0.36
  • LowFri 10:00 AM · -0.36

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

Monthly YOLO day

Wednesday, August 26 · 9.0

Best remaining dry day this month with a real wind forecast. waxing gibbous · spring · tide range ~1.4 ft · wind to 20 mph · Clouds · 6%

Next two weeks

Pulling the 14-day strip…

Where

  • San Luis Pass

    pass jetty · public structure · mid

    8.1

    NOAA 8771972. Real current. Wade the bars on a moving tide; respect the rip. GNIS hydro layer does not carry this name — the gauge is the official clock.

    • pass jetty on a outgoing tide is a classic match.
    • In-play: Redfish, Speckled trout.
    wadeskiffspinflystructure
  • Galveston North Jetty

    pass jetty · public structure · deep

    8.1

    Winter sheep on granite. Fall bulls. Midday tide on the rocks.

    • pass jetty on a outgoing tide is a classic match.
    • In-play: Redfish, Speckled trout.
    structurespinfly
  • Trinity Bay shoreline

    marsh drain · field manual · mid

    8.1

    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, Speckled trout.
    skiffspinfly
  • Bolivar Roads Channel

    pass jetty · public structure · deep

    8.1

    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.
    structureskiffspinfly
  • TX - Bolivar Peninsula west end / North Jetty

    pass jetty · saved map · mid

    8.1

    $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.
    structureskiffspinfly
  • TX - Follets Island CR 257 (free camping)

    pass jetty · saved map · mid

    8.1

    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.
    structurespinwade

When

  • Outgoing water

    9.0

    Thu 8:00 AMThu 10:00 AM

    Water is moving, but the clock is against you — heat or dark.

  • Incoming water

    7.7

    Thu 10:00 AMThu 5:00 PM

    Water is moving, but the clock is against you — heat or dark.

  • Outgoing water

    9.9

    Thu 4:00 PMThu 11:00 PM

    Water is moving, but the clock is against you — heat or dark.

  • Incoming water

    9.9

    Thu 11:00 PMFri 5:00 AM

    Moving water in the right part of the day.

  • Outgoing water

    9.9

    Fri 5:00 AMFri 12:00 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 source
  • San Luis Pass County Park

    Brazoria County / GLO beach-access system

    Follets Island. Ramp and beach. Current at the pass — wade with respect.

    Official source
  • Galveston 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 source
  • Galveston 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 — the NOAA gauge did not answer).
  • Overcast. Sky is workable.
  • Wind 12 mph WSW. Castable. Sight-fishing is on if the sun is out.
  • Full moon — spring tide range. Marsh and passes usually want the extra current of a spring.

Redfish

Sciaenops ocellatus

6.6

Thermal window

48°92°

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

44°90°

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.

Black drum

Pogonias cromis

4.8

Thermal window

46°88°

Off-season here. 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

4.8

Thermal window

48°84°

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

Texas: 5/day, 15 in minimum.

Jack crevalle

Caranx hippos

5.8

Thermal window

64°94°

Bycatch and beach noise — not the reason you came. In peak season for this water. 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 8 days. Texas bag and season roll every September 1. The stamp is the book we cited, not a license.