Texas Fishing Reports

NOAA buoy 42035 clocked 78°F water and just 2.6-ft seas on May 7 — a sharp turnaround from the 11.5-ft surf that hammered buoy 42020 waters on May 2. With winds dropping to near 2 m/s, bay and nearshore access across the Baffin Bay, Laguna Madre, Aransas Pass, and Rockport-Copano corridor has reopened. Charter captains Capt. Kevin Navid (Baffin Bay/Laguna Madre), Capt. Kenny Kramer (Aransas Pass), Capt. Larry Bell (Rockport-Copano and Mesquite Bay), and Capt. Monte Graham (Port Aransas) were all actively filing reports from these waters this week per TexasFishingTips (YT). Upper-70s water temps are historically prime for Texas speckled trout as fish push onto shallow grass flats and bay pockets. Salt Strong (articles) notes that topwater success depends on more than just the clock — water clarity and visible surface activity are the real triggers to read in conditions like these.

May 7

USGS gauge 08211200 logged Texas river water at 80°F early this morning with flow running low at 37.3 cfs — a pairing that tells a clear story: the spawn is wrapping up and bass are sliding into post-spawn dispersal. Tactical Bassin's early-May coverage confirms the transition, noting largemouth splitting between shallow cover and open water with topwater, swimbaits, and finesse presentations all drawing strikes depending on time of day. With water this warm, feeding activity will be tightest at dawn and dusk. Catfish and alligator gar benefit from the elevated temperatures as well; Field & Stream's comprehensive gar guide highlights Texas's Sabine River specifically, noting drifted cut bait as the traditional river presentation for big fish. Direct Texas freshwater angler reports were limited this cycle. Plan around the gauge data and tune sessions to early-morning windows to beat the midday heat.

May 7

NOAA buoy 42035 recorded 78°F water on May 6 with winds easing to roughly 13 mph — a marked improvement over buoy 42020's May 2 readings, when 11.5-foot seas and 27 mph winds shut down most offshore and nearshore access along the Texas coast. Those rough early-week conditions are now fading, opening bay systems from Galveston through Corpus Christi for anglers willing to move. Direct angler intel from charters or shops is absent from current feeds this cycle, so species assessments below are grounded in water-temperature expectations for the season rather than confirmed bites — a limitation worth noting. At 78°F the Gulf is running warm for early May, historically prime territory for spotted seatrout on the grass flats and redfish in shallow backcountry. Black drum and cobia are both seasonal expectations this month along the upper and central Texas coast. Check local tackle shops and forecasts before launching; post-front water clarity can vary significantly across different bay systems.

May 6

USGS gauge 08158000 logged Colorado River inflow at 196 cfs early this morning — a modest, stable reading that typically keeps the Highland Lakes chain at manageable levels with reasonable water clarity. No water temperature reading was available from the gauge. Direct angler reports from Lakes Travis, LBJ, and Buchanan are absent from this week's fishing feeds, which were dominated by Northeast striper coverage and national gear reviews. What the season tells us: early May is historically one of the strongest windows for Hill Country largemouth, as fish finish spawning and move to post-spawn staging areas along points, secondary creek arms, and channel edges. Field & Stream's spring bass coverage this week spotlights the buzzbait as a standout topwater choice when transitioning largemouth are feeding aggressively near the surface. With a waning gibbous moon, dawn and dusk feeding windows deserve priority. Verify current conditions locally before heading out.

May 6

NOAA buoy 42043 logged 76°F water and light 5 m/s (~10-knot) winds at South Padre early on May 6 — a sharp improvement from the 11.5-foot seas and 12 m/s winds NOAA buoy 42020 recorded on May 2. That midweek blow likely pushed sediment and disrupted shallow-flat structure temporarily, but the quick wind drop is encouraging. Water temps in the mid-70s are textbook early-May territory for the Lower Laguna Madre: spotted seatrout are in the middle of their spring spawn push, and redfish should be riding the warming flats. Direct local charter or tackle-shop reports were not captured in this cycle's feeds, so species outlooks are drawn from the buoy data and established seasonal patterns for this stretch of Texas coast. Coastal Angler Magazine notes that as afternoon air temps climb toward summer levels, a late-afternoon-to-dark "second shift" increasingly outperforms midday fishing — worth keeping in mind as conditions settle.

May 6

USGS gauge 08158000 on the Colorado River at Austin recorded 583 CFS on May 6 — the clearest system-wide signal available as Lakes Travis, LBJ, and Buchanan move through the late-spring post-spawn window. No water temperature was logged at the gauge, but Central Texas surface temps typically reach the low-to-mid 70s°F by early May, meaning most largemouth bass have concluded spawning and are beginning the scatter phase — moving off shallow flats toward main-lake structure. No charter captains, local tackle shops, or state agency reports specific to these three lakes appeared in this cycle's intel feeds. Field & Stream's spring-transition coverage applies broadly: rocky points, submerged timber, and channel edges are the first stops for recovering post-spawn bass. Crappie may still be lingering near dock pilings and brush in the 8–15 foot range, and a waning gibbous moon supports low-light feeding sessions at first light and dusk.

May 6

NOAA buoy 42035 logged 77°F water off the Texas Gulf Coast this morning alongside 3.3-foot seas and winds near 10 knots — a significant improvement from the 11.5-foot swells buoy 42020 recorded on May 2. That rough stretch likely kept most boats dockside for the better part of the week, but conditions have reset. Water temperatures in the upper 70s are prime for the annual cobia migration that tracks beachfront structure and nearshore rigs from Galveston south through Corpus Christi in May. Redfish and speckled trout remain reliable back-bay targets as the flats warm into their most productive spring range. Flounder are opportunistic ambush feeders this time of year — Salt Strong's recent flounder footage, shot in 25 feet of water, demonstrates how aggressively these fish attack bucktail jigs worked near the bottom. With a waning gibbous moon overhead, early-morning tidal windows should deliver the sharpest feeding activity of the day. Coastal Angler Magazine flags late-afternoon 'second shift' departures as an increasingly smart play as Gulf heat ramps up.

May 6

Water temperatures are running 76–77°F across the Lower Laguna Madre area, per NOAA buoy 42043's May 5 reading of 76°F and buoy 42020's 77°F recorded May 2. A rough-weather window earlier this week pushed offshore Gulf waves to 11.5 feet at buoy 42020 with sustained winds near 23 knots — conditions that would have stirred up the South Padre Island passes and made longer flats runs uncomfortable — but by today buoy 42043 shows winds down to roughly 12 knots, signaling a meaningfully calmer window heading into the weekend. No local charter, shop, or agency intel for Lower Laguna Madre is available in this reporting cycle; species assessments below reflect seasonal patterns and buoy temperature data only. At these water temps the shallow, hypersaline grass flats are well within the productive range for spotted seatrout and redfish. The waning gibbous moon offers strong pre-dawn feeding windows. Coastal Angler Magazine notes that as Gulf Coast days heat toward summer levels, a late-afternoon-to-dark shift often outproduces midday hours on flats fisheries like this one.

May 5

NOAA buoy 42020 recorded 77°F water temperatures alongside 11.5-foot seas on May 2, marking a rough stretch for offshore and coastal anglers along the Texas Gulf Coast. By May 5, NOAA buoy 42035 showed the same 77°F reading with winds easing to around 6 meters per second, signaling conditions are settling into a more workable window. No regional charter or tackle-shop dispatches surfaced in this update for the Galveston-to-Corpus stretch, so species outlooks here are grounded in established seasonal patterns for the upper and mid-Texas coast. At 77°F in early May, inshore bays typically produce active speckled trout on grass flats, while red drum move onto shallow structure and cobia patrol nearshore rigs along their annual spring migration. Anglers planning weekend trips should verify local conditions before heading out, as swell recovery from the mid-week blow may still affect nearshore access.

May 5

USGS gauge 08211200 recorded 80°F water and 31.6 cfs flow as of May 5 — a clear marker that Texas lakes and rivers are deep into late-spring warming. At 80°F, largemouth bass have largely cycled through spawning and are beginning the post-spawn scatter, pulling away from the shallows toward secondary points, submerged timber, and channel edges. No Texas-specific charter or tackle-shop reports surfaced in this week's feeds, so the bite picture below leans on seasonal norms calibrated to gauge conditions. The waning gibbous moon favors extended twilight and nighttime feeding windows — a genuine advantage for anglers targeting blue and channel catfish along deeper cuts after dark. White bass, typically post-run by early May in central Texas, should be regrouping on main-lake structure. Crappie are transitioning off shallow spawning brush toward mid-depth cover. Field & Stream's "Spring Fever" early-season breakdown underscores focusing on depth transitions once surface temps clear 75°F — precisely where we are now.

May 5

NOAA buoy 42020 recorded water temperatures of 77°F in early May, with buoy 42043 confirming 76°F by May 4 — prime range for spotted seatrout and redfish across Lower Laguna Madre's renowned shallow grass flats. The week opened rough offshore: buoy 42020 logged 11.5-ft Gulf swells and winds near 27 mph on May 2, conditions that pushed serious anglers inside the protected lagoon. By May 4, buoy 42043 showed winds down to roughly 11 mph, signaling a meaningful improvement in access. None of this week's angler-intel feeds carry direct charter or shop reports from the LLM or South Padre area, so species activity assessments here reflect seasonal patterns typical for this fishery rather than attributed on-water testimony. The waning gibbous moon supports productive pre-dawn feeding pushes across shallow flats. Tarpon are seasonally expected to be rolling near the Brazos Santiago Pass jetties, and wade-fishing access should widen further as swells continue to subside through mid-week.

May 5

NOAA buoy 42020 logged water temperatures at 77°F and wave heights of 11.5 feet on May 2, with buoy 42035 confirming 75°F water and winds near 22 mph as of this morning — conditions that are keeping most offshore-bound boats tied to the dock. Inshore bays and nearshore structure from Galveston through Corpus Christi offer the most accessible bite right now, where warming spring water is priming the shallows for speckled trout and redfish along grass-flat edges and channel margins. The waning gibbous moon is driving strong tidal movement through bay passes, concentrating bait and activating predators during low-light transitions. Coastal Angler Magazine, covering this spring-to-summer transition period, highlights the late-afternoon-into-evening launch as a reliable timing strategy as Gulf waters warm — advice that meshes well with the current moon-driven tidal windows. No direct charter or tackle-shop reports from this specific Galveston-to-Corpus stretch were captured in our current intel feeds; species activity ratings reflect seasonal norms and buoy data rather than on-the-water testimony from local guides this week.

May 5