Black drum
Pogonias cromis
Thermal window
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In peak season for this water. This tide stage (incoming) matches how they hunt.
Texas: 5/day, 14–30 in. One over 52 in allowed as part of the bag.
Texas · Galveston Bay
Redfish should be the day — push West and East Bay grass as the wind lets water back in.
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 2026-12-31. No wind forecast that far out — score is tide, moon, and season. Not a copper day.
Tide + moon
low confidence
Forecast brief for Thursday, December 31. Back to this morning
Morning line
Galveston 8.1 on Thursday, December 31 — tide, moon, and season only. No wind forecast that far out. YOLO day is Wednesday, August 26. Scores are 1–10, not a bite.
incoming · 0.73 ftModeled M2 · not a gauge
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
50% lit
Last quarter
neap range · 50%
Water
No gauge
Water
—
Today’s range 1.6 ft
incoming
0.73 ft modeled
Wind vs table
No live gauge
—
No live gauge this hour — the printed tide is the forecast.
Clock
NOAA 8771450
- LowThu 3:00 AM · -0.76
- HighThu 9:00 AM · 0.77
- LowThu 3:00 PM · -0.78
- HighThu 9:00 PM · 0.78
- LowFri 3:00 AM · -0.78
Bahamas tides are modeled from lunar M2. Use them for windows, not a bar crossing.
Monthly YOLO day
Wednesday, August 26 · 8.7
Best remaining dry day this month with a real wind forecast. waxing gibbous · spring · tide range ~0.9 ft · wind to 21 mph · Clouds · 4%
Next two weeks
Pulling the 14-day strip…
Where
- 9.0
TX - Galveston Island SP bayside trails
grass flat · saved map · mid
Camp + 3 paddling trails into Carancahua Cove. · flats · GULF ATLAS! - FISH
- — grass flat on a incoming tide is a classic match.
- — In-play: Redfish, Speckled trout, Black drum, Sheepshead.
skiffkayakwadeflyspin - 9.0
Christmas Bay
grass flat · saved map · mid
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 incoming tide is a classic match.
- — In-play: Redfish, Speckled trout, Black drum, Sheepshead.
skiffkayakwadeflyspin - 9.0
Galveston Island SP - Carancahua Cove trails
grass flat · saved map · mid
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 incoming tide is a classic match.
- — In-play: Redfish, Speckled trout, Black drum, Sheepshead.
skiffkayakwadeflyspin - 8.7
Galveston North Jetty
pass jetty · public structure · deep
Winter sheep on granite. Fall bulls. Midday tide on the rocks.
- — pass jetty on a incoming tide is a classic match.
- — In-play: Sheepshead, Redfish, Speckled trout.
structurespinfly - 8.7
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 incoming tide is a classic match.
- — In-play: Redfish, Speckled trout, Sheepshead.
structureskiffspinfly - 8.7
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 incoming tide is a classic match.
- — In-play: Redfish, Speckled trout, Black drum, Sheepshead.
structureskiffspinfly
When
Incoming water
8.5Thu 8:00 AM → Thu 11:00 AM
Water is moving, but the clock is against you — heat or dark.
Outgoing water
9.4Thu 10:00 AM → Thu 5:00 PM
Water is moving, but the clock is against you — heat or dark.
Incoming water
9.4Thu 4:00 PM → Thu 11:00 PM
Moving water in the right part of the day.
Outgoing water
7.4Thu 10:00 PM → Fri 5:00 AM
Water is moving, but the clock is against you — heat or dark.
Incoming water
8.5Fri 4:00 AM → Fri 11:00 AM
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 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 incoming (modeled — the NOAA gauge did not answer).
- — Last quarter moon — neap tide range. Marsh and passes usually want the extra current of a spring.
8.4
Sheepshead
Archosargus probatocephalus
Thermal window
—
In peak season for this water. This tide stage (incoming) matches how they hunt.
Texas: 5/day, 15 in minimum.
Redfish
Sciaenops ocellatus
Thermal window
—
Present, not peak. This tide stage (incoming) 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
Thermal window
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Present, not peak. This tide stage (incoming) 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.
Jack crevalle
Caranx hippos
Thermal window
—
Bycatch and beach noise — not the reason you came. Off-season here. This tide stage (incoming) 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.