Mangrove / gray snapper
Lutjanus griseus
Thermal window
—
In peak season for this water. This tide stage (outgoing) matches how they hunt.
Texas: typically 12 in, 4/day under snapper rules — verify TPWD.
Texas · Lower Laguna Madre
Redfish should be the day — the drops off Brazos Santiago and the spoil edges.
The clear-water classroom. South Bay, spoil banks, Brazos Santiago. Sight-casting reds in inches. Often the warmest Texas winter water.
- ⚠ This brief is for 2026-08-31, not this morning. Wind is a forecast. Observed water versus the table is a today-only instrument.
Forecast
medium confidence
Forecast brief for Monday, August 31. Back to this morning
Morning line
LLM 8.2 on Monday, August 31. 11 mph SSE. Clear · 6%. YOLO day is Thursday, August 27. Scores are 1–10, not a bite.
outgoing · 1.01 ftNOAA hourly · ft MLLW
Wind
OPEN-METEO
From SSE · gust 20
Sky
6% rain
Clear
Clear · 6%
A 20% shower chance is not a cancel. A soaker is.
Moon
87% lit
Waning gibbous
mid range · 87%
Water
No gauge
Water
—
Today’s range 0.9 ft
outgoing
1.01 ft MLLW
Wind vs table
Observed − predicted
—
No live gauge this hour — the printed tide is the forecast.
Clock
NOAA 8779770
- LowMon 12:27 PM · 0.51
- HighMon 7:43 PM · 1.38
- LowTue 1:41 AM · 1.14
- HighTue 5:01 AM · 1.25
- LowTue 1:09 PM · 0.30
Monthly YOLO day
Thursday, August 27 · 9.2
Best remaining dry day this month with a real wind forecast. full · spring · tide range ~1.1 ft · wind to 19 mph · 1% chance of rain
Next two weeks
Pulling the 14-day strip…
Where
- 8.7
TX - South Padre north of Access 6
sand dropoff · saved map · mid
Cameron Co. permit, primitive sand camping. Clearest TX surf. · camp-surf · GULF ATLAS! - FISH
- — sand dropoff on a outgoing tide is a classic match.
- — In-play: Redfish, Speckled trout, Snook, Mangrove / gray snapper.
structurespinwade - 8.7
South Padre - north of Beach Access 6
sand dropoff · saved map · mid
Cameron Co. permit, primitive sand camping. Clearest surf water in TX; LLM flats behind the dunes. · 1 - BEACH CORRIDORS (yellow=2WD, orange=4WD, red=Big Shell) · Texas coast — corridors, jetties, flats
- — sand dropoff on a outgoing tide is a classic match.
- — In-play: Redfish, Speckled trout, Snook, Mangrove / gray snapper.
structurespinwade - 8.4
Brazos Santiago Pass
pass jetty · public structure · deep
USGS GNIS 1372708. The south-end pass. Bulls and tarpon in season. Current over rock.
USGS GNIS 1372708
- — pass jetty on a outgoing tide is a classic match.
- — In-play: Redfish, Snook.
structureskiffspinfly - 8.4
Mansfield Cut
pass jetty · public structure · deep
NOAA 8778490 in the basin. Cut current, jetty granite, Laguna skinny a mile inside.
- — pass jetty on a outgoing tide is a classic match.
- — In-play: Redfish, Speckled trout.
skiffstructurespinfly - 7.7
South Bay
grass flat · field manual · skinny
USGS GNIS 1376184 (Cameron). Clear-water classroom. Inches of grass. Sight-casting reds. Deep-south snook on warm years.
USGS GNIS 1376184
- — grass flat on a outgoing tide is a workable match.
- — In-play: Redfish, Speckled trout, Snook.
skiffwadekayakflyspin - 7.7
SPI spoil banks
spoil bank · public structure · skinny
Classic Laguna edges. Pole the leeward spoil when the wind is up.
- — spoil bank on a outgoing tide is a workable match.
- — In-play: Redfish, Speckled trout.
skiffwadeflyspin
When
Outgoing water
9.1Mon 8:00 AM → Mon 2:00 PM
Water is moving, but the clock is against you — heat or dark.
Incoming water
10.0Mon 2:00 PM → Mon 9:00 PM
Water is moving, but the clock is against you — heat or dark.
Outgoing water
10.0Mon 9:00 PM → Tue 3:00 AM
Moving water in the right part of the day.
Incoming water
8.7Tue 3:00 AM → Tue 6:00 AM
Water is moving, but the clock is against you — heat or dark.
Outgoing water
10.0Tue 7:00 AM → Tue 3:00 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.
Isla Blanca Park
Cameron County / GLO beach access
South end of SPI. Ramps, jetties, Brazos Santiago. County beach plan governs 2WD/4WD.
Official sourceAndy Bowie Park
Cameron County / GLO beach access
North SPI. County beach plan. 2WD/4WD posted at the entrance.
Official sourceAdolph Thomae Jr. County Park
Cameron County / TPWD-listed launch
Arroyo Colorado into the Lower Laguna. Ramp and park. The LLM classroom starts here.
Official sourcePort Mansfield public ramps
Willacy County / TPWD-listed launch
Basin and cut. NOAA 8778490. Laguna skinny a mile inside.
Official sourceBoca Chica / Beach Access 6
Cameron County beach-access plan / Texas GLO
South of SPI. County plan is the 2WD/4WD law here. Closures shift with SpaceX and storms — confirm before you drop a tire.
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 from NOAA.
- — Clear · 6%. Sky is workable.
- — Wind 11 mph SSE. Castable. Sight-fishing is on if the sun is out.
- — Waning gibbous moon — mid tide range. Sight water often prefers a moderate range and clean water over a huge spring.
8.4
Redfish
Sciaenops ocellatus
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
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.
Snook
Centropomus undecimalis
Thermal window
—
Present, not peak. This tide stage (outgoing) matches how they hunt.
Texas: 1/day, 24–28 in. Rare this far west — verify before you keep one.
Jack crevalle
Caranx hippos
Thermal window
—
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.