Texas fishing reports
481 reports for Texas — what's biting, water temps, and where to focus.
New moon fall transition sets up Hill Country shoreline bites
Water across the Hill Country is in the low 70s, a clear step down from summer. USGS gauge 08155500 read 72°F this morning, gauge 08170990 showed 70°F, and the shallower gauge 08105891 sat at 79°F. That spread tells us the larger, deeper water is cooling while shallow, slow-moving water still holds summer warmth. Per Tactical Bassin, fall fish relate to hard structure like dock pilings, laydown trees and rocks, and shallow jig and topwater presentations stay effective through October. A New Moon today means dark nights and a strong early-morning window.
Texas catfish and bass shift as October cools the water
Warm water is still the story across South Texas this week. A USGS gauge 0821150305 reads 84°F and a second, USGS gauge 08211200, reads 81°F with flow near 76 cfs, so fish are not yet in a full fall pattern. North Texas Catfish Guide described the late-summer grind on Eagle Mountain Lake as hot water, little wind and a tiny, hard-to-detect bite where hooksets had to be dialed in. The same report noted a lot of small catfish mixed in with better keepers. Texas Fish & Game Magazine also has TPWD fishing rule proposals in the news, so check current state regulations before harvesting anything.
Fall mullet run arrives as Texas weighs new redfish tag rules
Water along the Galveston-to-Corpus corridor is still running warm for mid-October. NOAA CO-OPS gauges logged 84.6°F at station 8771450, 82.8°F at station 8771341 and 83.5°F at station 8772471 as of October 10. Saltwater Sportsman's look at the annual mullet run notes millions of baitfish pushing out of Gulf bays and estuaries from September into November, the bait surge anglers watch for as the fall bite builds. On the regulations side, Texas Fish & Game Magazine reports Texas Parks and Wildlife is weighing rule changes touching redfish tagging, with existing seasonal harvest closures staying in place for now.
Warm Water Keeps Redfish, Snook Active on Texas Gulf Coast
Water temperatures across Galveston-Corpus tide stations are holding in the low-to-mid 80s (82.2-84.7°F), unusually warm for mid-October and a sign the fall cool-down hasn't taken hold yet. That lingering warmth is keeping inshore fish active: per Salt Strong, anglers working soft plastic jerk lures after switching off topwater plugs turned a slow stretch into a quick redfish-and-snook slam this week. With a new moon tonight, expect stronger-than-average tidal exchange to sharpen the afternoon bite.
Redfish, snook turning on as Gulf Coast bays hold summer warmth
Water temps across the three Galveston Bay-area CO-OPS stations are running 82.4-84.7°F this morning, warm enough that bay fish are still behaving like it's late summer rather than mid-October. Saltwater Sportsman reports the fall mullet run is now pushing millions of baitfish out of Gulf Coast bays and estuaries, the kind of bait movement that pulls predators up onto moving water. On the lure side, Salt Strong describes switching from hard plugs to soft plastic jerk lures to turn a dead stretch of water into a quick inshore slam with redfish and snook mixed in.
Hill Country lakes ease toward fall transition as flows run low
USGS gauge 08155500 near Lake Travis logged 72°F water and just 21 cfs of inflow this morning, while tributary gauge 08170990 downstream shows zero flow and 70°F, a pairing that points to a quiet, low-water stretch across the Highland Lakes chain right now. A feeder-creek gauge closer to Austin, 08105891, ran warmer at 81°F, and 08158000 posted a stronger 773 cfs push with no temperature reading attached. Together the four readings describe a system still holding pockets of late-summer warmth in its upper reaches while cooling at the margins, the kind of mixed signature that shows up as Hill Country lakes begin their fall turnover.
Toledo Bend, Sam Rayburn ease into the fall transition
Water temperatures across the Toledo Bend-Sam Rayburn system are holding in the low 80s as of Thursday evening, with USGS gauges 08017044 and 08017118 both reading 82°F and gauge 08017095 at 80°F. Flow on the Angelina-side gauge 08030500 sits near 978 cfs, steady and unremarkable for early October. Lake Fork Trophy Bass, reporting from a fellow East Texas reservoir, describes the broader regional pattern this week: cooling nights are pushing the fall transition along, feeding activity is picking up as water eases down from summer highs, and boat traffic is thinning as more anglers head to deer stands and blinds with hunting season opening.
Fall Mullet Run Reaches the Texas Gulf Coast
Water along the upper Texas coast held in the mid-80s this week — NOAA CO-OPS readings came in at 85.1°F at Galveston Pier 21, 83.8°F at the Galveston Bay Entrance North Jetty, and 83.3°F at Port Isabel. That's warm for the first full week of October, and it coincides with what Saltwater Sportsman describes as the fall mullet run now underway along the Gulf of Mexico, with millions of baitfish streaming out of rivers, bays, and estuaries. That bait push is the signal worth watching this time of year, since predator fish key in on the moving schools. Texas Fish & Game Magazine also reports TPWD is weighing new rule proposals that touch redfish tagging, worth checking before your next trip.
Redfish and snook turn on as Gulf Coast anglers switch tactics
NOAA tide stations along the upper Texas coast are reading 82-85°F this week, water still holding plenty of summer heat into early October. That warmth is keeping redfish and snook working the shallows. Per Salt Strong, an angler fishing a baitfish-loaded flat came up empty on topwater plugs before switching to soft plastic jerk lures and turning the session into what the site described as 'a quick inshore slam, including some NICE redfish and snook.' The takeaway: when fish go quiet on a reaction bait over visible bait, dropping to a slower subsurface presentation can flip the bite without leaving the spot.
Eagle Mountain Lake bite loosens as fall signs arrive
North Texas Catfish Guide Service reports a classic late-summer grind on Eagle Mountain Lake near Fort Worth: hot, nearly windless water, heavy holiday and weekend boat traffic, and a "ghost bite" where fish barely touch the bait, forcing anglers to dial in their hook-sets on subtle takes. The same report notes a lot of small fish mixed in, with anglers sorting through them to find the better keepers. Those are the first cracks in the summer pattern as Texas lakes begin easing toward fall, with the bigger shift still ahead.
South Padre redfish, snook bite turns on technique switch
Water temperatures remain firmly in late-summer territory for early October, with NOAA CO-OPS station 8775237 reading 83.3°F and station 8779770 reading 84°F overnight, both still warm enough to keep redfish and snook feeding through the day rather than retreating to deep holes. Per Salt Strong, anglers working soft plastic jerk lures after plugs went quiet have been finding solid redfish and snook action on recent trips, a pattern worth trying on calm mornings here. Texas Fish & Game Magazine notes TPWD is weighing new flounder and redfish tag rules this cycle, though the existing November flounder closure is expected to stay in place.
Hill Country lakes hold in a mixed fall transition pattern
Conditions across the Hill Country lake system are mixed this week. USGS gauges report water temperatures spanning 70°F to 82°F depending on location, with most sites running light flow between 0 and 18.5 cfs while one lower-river gauge pushes a notably higher 156 cfs. That spread is typical for early October, when some stretches have already started shedding summer heat and others are still holding warm, stratified water.