Texas Fishing Reports

Water temps have climbed to 80°F as of mid-May per NOAA buoy 42043, putting the Lower Laguna Madre and South Padre zone squarely in late-spring feeding mode. Texas Fish & Game Magazine reports speckled trout showing in two distinct settings: the open surf at daylight, where topwater lures are drawing explosive strikes, and ship channels, where anglers running electronics to identify depth and structure are locating consistent trout holds. The 37th annual CCA Texas STAR Tournament kicks off this month per Lone Star Outdoor News — Fishing, which historically concentrates reports and angling pressure across the Texas coast; the same outlet also notes 2026 is shaping up as a record year for Texas anglers statewide. Redfish are seasonally on pace for seagrass flat activity as temps warm, though no source this week specifically called them out for the lower laguna corridor. The new moon on May 17 should drive stronger tidal exchange — a plus for both bay and wade-fishing windows.

May 17

USGS gauge 08030500 on the Sabine River system clocked 2,220 cfs on the morning of May 17 — a moderate late-spring flow that typically keeps Toledo Bend's upper creek arms slightly off-color while the main lake holds fishable clarity. No temperature reading was available at the gauge today, but mid-May in East Texas historically puts surface temps in the low-to-mid 70s. The key takeaway heading into the weekend: the spawn has wrapped. Lake Fork Trophy Bass documented a robust spawn across East Texas waters through April, with bass flooding the shallows and the fishery running about three feet low. By the third week of May that wave has largely crested, and Tactical Bassin identifies the bluegill spawn now as the dominant trigger — big bass are stacking around heavy cover to ambush them, with topwater frogs and hollow-belly baits drawing blowups in the slop. Texas Fish & Game Magazine highlights electronics as the go-to edge for targeting giant blue and flathead catfish deeper in the water column at reservoirs like Toledo Bend and Sam Rayburn.

May 17

The bluegill spawn is in full swing for Texas bass anglers this week — per Tactical Bassin, that means largemouth are locked on shallow heavy cover and will commit aggressively to topwater frogs and swimbaits. USGS gauge 08158000 logged Colorado River inflow into Lake Travis at 1,740 cfs as of early Sunday morning, a moderate but not flood-stage pulse that may cloud upper-lake creek arms while leaving main-basin visibility intact. Regional reservoir levels are running above last year's benchmarks: My Canyon Lake Fishing reports nearby Canyon Lake sitting eight feet higher than the same date in 2025, with conditions described as "ideal for boating and fishing." Tonight's New Moon sharpens dawn and dusk feeding windows, making the next two to three days some of the better low-light topwater opportunities of early summer. No direct on-water reports for Travis, LBJ, or Buchanan surfaced in this cycle; the conditions picture is built from regional and seasonal context.

May 17

Water temperatures touching 79°F at NOAA buoy 42035, the Galveston-to-Corpus Gulf Coast is delivering a standout May bite. Capt. Bink Grimes, reported by the Galveston Daily News — Reel Report, says west Matagorda Bay is producing quality speckled trout over shell on Gulp! baits and live shrimp under popping corks, while the redfish bite in Oyster Lake is solid on live shrimp and mullet. Capt. Greg Ball — also via the Galveston Daily News — Reel Report — reports the Galveston jetties and ship channel heating up fast as bay water temperatures climb into the low 70s. Texas Fish & Game Magazine highlights surf fishing for speckled trout along the Gulf beach at daybreak, with topwater lures drawing explosive early-morning action. The 37th annual CCA Texas STAR Tournament kicks off this month, per Lone Star Outdoor News — Fishing, lending institutional weight to what captains are calling an especially active season. With a new moon and light winds currently holding, conditions are favorable across inshore and surf zones.

May 17

Water temperatures have reached 83°F (USGS gauge 08211200), and North Texas lakes are entering one of the year's best freshwater windows. North Texas Catfish Guide reports Eagle Mountain Lake is nearly full with active freshwater inflows — a scenario the captain says triggers fast, aggressive feeding once you locate fish. Blue catfish have been the standout all spring, with guide trips logging easy limits and regular 30-pound-plus specimens per outing; the charter's May–June update confirms fish remain on the move and feeding right now. Channel catfish have also been productive on the same water. Texas Fish & Game Magazine notes that electronics are a growing edge for locating giant catfish on structure as water warms. White bass have historically been active in main-lake open water during comparable late-spring windows, per North Texas Catfish Guide reports. With the new moon tonight and warm water in place, early-morning and evening sessions should deliver the tightest bite windows through the weekend.

May 17

NOAA buoy 42043 logged 78°F water temps off South Texas on May 12, placing the Lower Laguna Madre squarely in late-spring prime-time territory for shallow-water species. Texas Fish & Game Magazine spotlights a productive current pattern: anglers running sonar electronics to identify speckled trout stacked along ship-channel structure, then working them with soft plastics or live shrimp — a technique equally applicable to the cuts and deeper potholes threading the Laguna flats. The 37th annual CCA Texas STAR Tournament kicked off this month, per Lone Star Outdoor News — Fishing, bringing heightened effort onto trout, redfish, and flounder across the coast. That same outlet notes it's shaping up to be a record year for Texas anglers statewide. Winds registered just 1 m/s at buoy 42043 by mid-week — a significant improvement over the 12 m/s blow recorded at buoy 42020 on May 2 — giving wade and kayak anglers a favorable window onto the flats.

May 13

Water at 78°F and near-flat 1.3-foot seas, per NOAA buoy 42035 this morning, have opened a prime inshore window along the Texas Gulf Coast. The Galveston Daily News — Reel Report delivers the most actionable intel: Capt. Bink Grimes reported west Matagorda Bay producing good catches of speckled trout over shell using Gulps and live shrimp under popping corks, while the redfish bite is described as good in Oyster Lake on live shrimp and mullet. Multiple weekend dispatches from the Galveston Daily News — Reel Report confirm the pattern is not isolated — anglers across the bay complex found fish. The Texas Redfish Rumble tournament, headquartered out of Pier 6 in San Leon on May 2, drew strong results. With the 37th CCA STAR Tournament set to begin this month per Lone Star Outdoor News — Fishing, bay activity is drawing competitive attention. Flounder are typically active in Texas bays this time of year, though no specific reports landed this week.

May 13

Water temps at 76–77°F (NOAA buoys 42035 and 42020) have the Texas Gulf Coast bay fishery humming. The Galveston Daily News — Reel Report confirmed solid catches across the Galveston Bay complex leading into and through the past weekend, with bay anglers reporting fish from multiple locations. The Texas Redfish Rumble on May 2, headquartered at Pier 6 in San Leon, showcased strong redfish activity on the upper Texas coast. Further south, TexasFishingTips (YT) has charter captains filing fresh reports from Rockport-Copano, Baffin Bay/Laguna Madre, and Aransas Pass — prime speckled trout and redfish territory. Texas Fish & Game Magazine highlights using electronics to locate speckled trout in ship channels, a productive late-spring tactic as fish set up on current lines. Lone Star Outdoor News — Fishing notes 2026 is shaping up as a record year for Texas anglers, and the 37th annual CCA STAR Tournament is now underway. Flounder are typical at bay passes and channel mouths this time of year, though no direct reports have surfaced this week.

May 12

Water temp at USGS gauge 08211200 is reading 80°F — well into the range that energizes Texas freshwater through May. North Texas Catfish Guide, running charters on Eagle Mountain Lake near Fort Worth, reports the lake is nearly full with fresh-water inflows creating prime conditions: anglers are landing easy limits of big blue catfish, with multiple fish over 30 pounds showing up on most trips. "Fish are moving, fish are feeding — and when you get on them, it happens fast," the guide notes. Tactical Bassin reports the bluegill spawn is now in full swing across Texas lakes, a reliable trigger that draws big largemouth into shallow heavy cover for topwater and frog presentations. LakeForkGuy is flagging what he describes as "the most aggressive crappie bite of the year" in the post-spawn window, as fish scatter from beds to nearby main-lake structure. The waning crescent moon this week favors steady daytime bites over peak nocturnal windows.

May 12

The bluegill spawn is in full swing across East Texas reservoirs this week, opening a prime window to target largemouth bass in heavy shallow cover. Tactical Bassin reports bass actively feeding around bluegill beds, with anglers connecting on topwater frogs, swimbaits, and Karashi-style jigs skipped through shallow timber. Lake Fork Trophy Bass, covering nearby East Texas reservoir conditions, notes that spring bass fishing in the region has really turned on, with fish having rushed the shallows through April for spawning — and the post-spawn transition now underway. The USGS Neches River gauge (site 08030500) logged 4,940 cfs on May 11, indicating moderate-to-elevated inflow into Sam Rayburn; watch for stained water near upper creek mouths. The waning crescent moon phase shifts the best bite toward daytime windows. At Toledo Bend and Sam Rayburn, probe first-break timber transitions as bass divide between recovering spawners and active post-spawn feeders.

May 11

Largemouth bass across the Hill Country Highland Lakes are deep in the post-spawn transition, and Tactical Bassin's early-May on-water coverage confirms the bluegill spawn is now in full swing — a seasonal trigger that pulls big bass back into the shallows to feed aggressively. Tactical Bassin reports multiple patterns running simultaneously: a finesse Karashi-style bite, topwater frogs over heavy cover, and swimbaits including the Magdraft skipped around shoreline timber. The USGS gauge on the Colorado River (site 08158000) shows a stable 205 cfs as of May 11, indicating steady conditions on the Highland chain. No real-time water temperature is available this cycle; mid-May in Central Texas typically puts surface temps in the low-to-mid 70s°F range. Lone Star Outdoor News notes 2026 has been a record-setting year for Texas anglers statewide. With a waning crescent moon entering its final days, early-morning feeding windows will be the most reliable — plan your first cast well before sunrise.

May 11

USGS gauge data puts Texas water temps at 83°F heading into mid-May, and North Texas Catfish Guide reports Eagle Mountain Lake (Fort Worth) is primed for strong action. The lake is sitting at near-full pool with sustained fresh inflow — a combination the guide calls ideal: fish are moving, fish are feeding, and "when you get on them, it happens fast." Multiple charter reports from the guide this spring document easy limits of quality blue catfish, with 30-pound-plus trophies appearing on nearly every trip. Channel catfish and white bass are also mixing into the main-lake catch. Statewide, post-spawn largemouth bass are in transition — Tactical Bassin notes the bluegill spawn is now driving aggressive topwater and frog bites in heavy cover, a pattern that fits Texas reservoirs well through mid-May. Lone Star Outdoor News flags 2026 as a record-setting year for Texas anglers broadly, pointing to strong productivity across the state's freshwater fisheries this spring.

May 11