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Texas · Galveston Bay

Redfish should be the day — hold for moving water; Galveston slack is a boat ride.

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 2026-11-18, not this morning. Wind is a forecast. Observed water versus the table is a today-only instrument.
  • ⚠ Texas flounder season is closed Nov 1–Dec 14. Catch-and-release only if you hook one.
8.3OF 10

Forecast

medium confidence

Forecast brief for Wednesday, November 18. Back to this morning

Morning line

Galveston 8.3 on Wednesday, November 18. 10 mph WSW. Clear. YOLO day is Wednesday, August 26. Scores are 1–10, not a bite.

Mail it
-0.30.30.81.42.0LHLHLHLHTue 6 PMWed 6 PMThu 6 PMFri 6 PMSat 6 PM
high slack · 1.06 ftNOAA hourly · ft MLLW

Wind

OPEN-METEO

NESW10MPH

From WSW · gust 14

Sky

OPEN-METEO

Clear

Clear

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

Moon

64% lit

Waxing gibbous

neap range · 64%

Water

No gauge

Water

—

48°92°

Today’s range 1.0 ft

high slack

1.06 ft MLLW

River

USGS 08066500

1,450 cfs

Trinity Rv at Romayor, TX

Discharge into this bay. High water stains the flat.

Wind vs table

Observed − predicted

—

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

Clock

NOAA 8771450

  • LowWed 4:21 PM · 0.68
  • HighThu 12:09 AM · 1.41
  • LowThu 7:10 AM · 0.86
  • HighThu 12:26 PM · 1.10
  • LowThu 5:29 PM · 0.87

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 · 5%

Stay or drive · Galveston vs MatagordaOpen the calendarMorning dispatch

Next two weeks

Pulling the 14-day strip…

Where

  • East Bay reefs / Hanna's

    oyster reef · field manual · mid

    8.1

    Home-water trout and winter mixed schools. Shell next to mud. Do not invent a Tuesday — this is the bay.

    • — oyster reef on a high slack tide is a workable match.
    • — In-play: Speckled trout, Redfish, Black drum.
    skiffwadeflyspin

  • TX - Galveston Island SP bayside trails

    grass flat · saved map · mid

    8.1

    Camp + 3 paddling trails into Carancahua Cove. · flats · GULF ATLAS! - FISH

    • — grass flat on a high slack tide is a workable match.
    • — In-play: Redfish, Speckled trout, Black drum, Sheepshead.
    skiffkayakwadeflyspin

  • Christmas Bay

    grass flat · saved map · mid

    8.1

    Upper coast's only true seagrass flat, coastal preserve. Fall tailing reds. Kayak launches off CR 257. Camp Follets = gulf camp + bay fish, one island. · 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, Sheepshead.
    skiffkayakwadeflyspin

  • Galveston Island SP - Carancahua Cove trails

    grass flat · saved map · mid

    8.1

    Camp + 3 marked paddling trails (Dana Cove, Oak Bayou, Jenkins Bayou). Reds and drum in skinny water 400 yd from the tent. · 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, Sheepshead.
    skiffkayakwadeflyspin

  • West Bay grass

    grass flat · field manual · skinny

    7.5

    Flooded grass on a rising tide. Windward mudline for reds; leeward clear for trout.

    • — grass flat on a high slack tide is a workable match.
    • — In-play: Redfish, Speckled trout.
    skiffwadekayakflyspin

  • Christmas Bay

    grass flat · public structure · skinny

    7.5

    USGS GNIS 1354478. Smaller, clearer pocket. Kayak and wade water. San Luis influence.

    USGS GNIS 1354478

    • — grass flat on a high slack tide is a workable match.
    • — In-play: Redfish, Speckled trout.
    kayakskiffwadeflyspin

When

  • Outgoing water

    9.7

    Wed 12:00 PM → Wed 6:00 PM

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

  • Incoming water

    9.7

    Wed 6:00 PM → Thu 2:00 AM

    Moving water in the right part of the day.

  • Outgoing water

    10.0

    Thu 2:00 AM → Thu 9:00 AM

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

  • Incoming water

    10.0

    Thu 9:00 AM → Thu 2:00 PM

    Moving water in the right part of the day.

  • Outgoing water

    9.7

    Thu 2:00 PM → Thu 7:00 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.

  • 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 high slack from NOAA.
  • — Clear. Sky is workable.
  • — Wind 10 mph WSW. Castable. Sight-fishing is on if the sun is out.
  • — Waxing gibbous moon — neap tide range. Marsh and passes usually want the extra current of a spring.

Redfish

Sciaenops ocellatus

7.3

Thermal window

—

48°92°

In peak season for this water.

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

7.3

Thermal window

—

44°90°

In peak season for this water.

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

6.6

Thermal window

—

46°88°

Present, not peak. 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.

Sheepshead

Archosargus probatocephalus

5.5

Thermal window

—

48°84°

Present, not peak.

Texas: 5/day, 15 in minimum.

Jack crevalle

Caranx hippos

3.7

Thermal window

—

64°94°

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.