Texas fishing reports
481 reports for Texas — what's biting, water temps, and where to focus.
Hill Country lakes hold strong levels heading into fall transition
Texas's Highland Lakes region is sliding into its fall transition as surface waters begin cooling from summer highs, a shift that typically pulls baitfish shallower and puts gamefish back on the move around creek channels and points. Regional water levels are trending favorably too: My Canyon Lake Fishing reports the Hill Country's Canyon Lake running well above where it sat a year ago, with the Water Oriented Recreation District of Comal County calling conditions ideal for boating, fishing, and lakeside recreation, and public ramps open for access. That's a stronger starting point heading into the cooler months than the drought-strained years anglers on these reservoirs are used to.
Fall transition takes hold across the Hill Country lake system
Gauge readings across the Hill Country river system show tributaries settling into typical late-September low flow. USGS gauge 08155500 near Austin is running 72°F at just 18.5 cfs, and gauge 08170990 in the Guadalupe basin near Canyon Lake reads 70°F with flow essentially flat at 0 cfs. Farther north, gauge 08105891 is still holding summer heat at 85°F. On the Colorado River main stem in Austin, gauge 08158000 shows 502 cfs, a healthier push driven by Highland Lakes reservoir releases rather than rainfall. The spread between warm, static tributary water and stronger main-stem flow is the signature of the fall transition getting underway across the region.
Upper Coast snook feed up as summer warmth lingers
Gulf water is holding warm across the upper coast this morning: NOAA CO-OPS stations report 90.7°F at station 8771450, 88.7°F at 8771341, and 88.9°F at 8772471, still deep in late-summer range for Galveston-Corpus. Texas Fish & Game Magazine points out that Upper Coast snook fishing isn't just a Lower Laguna Madre story, and Sport Fishing Mag reports Gulf snook are feeding heavily now as they stage for their move toward winter holding water. With the equinox just behind us and days shortening, that fall trigger is starting to show.
Snook push north as Gulf Coast water holds near 90°F
Galveston and Corpus-area waters are still running summer-warm, with our CO-OPS readings spanning 87.4°F to 90°F this morning across the three coastal stations checked. Texas Fish & Game Magazine's look at upper coast snook makes the point directly: these tropical gamefish aren't confined to the Lower Laguna Madre, and this stretch of coast can hold them too. Sport Fishing Mag backs that up regionally, noting Gulf snook feel the days shortening and start pushing toward winter holding areas as summer's heat breaks, making fall one of the season's best windows, with anglers there working swimbaits like the Mulletron and Diezel MinnowZ on the more aggressive fish. Inshore, Salt Strong's fall lure lineup keeps redfish in the mix alongside trout, snook, and flounder, with lure choice shifting through the day rather than sticking to one presentation.
Upper Texas Coast Snook Push North as Water Stays Summer-Warm
Gulf water along the upper Texas coast is still running summer-warm heading into the equinox, with NOAA CO-OPS readings of 90.5°F at station 8771450, 89.4°F at station 8771341, and 88.5°F at station 8772471 this afternoon. That kind of heat holding into late September keeps the bite pattern tied to the seasonal shift rather than a cold-front trigger. Sport Fishing Mag notes Gulf snook are feeding up as summer winds down and starting to push toward winter holding areas, with swimbaits like the Mulletron or Diezel MinnowZ working on aggressive fish. Texas Fish & Game Magazine adds a useful reminder for this stretch of coast: upper-coast snook aren't confined to the Lower Laguna Madre stronghold, and fish show up farther north than many anglers assume, worth factoring in when picking structure to work.
South Padre snook lean into the fall transition
Water off South Padre Island sat at 87.6°F at NOAA CO-OPS station 8775237 and 88.7°F at station 8779770 this afternoon, still running summer-warm as the calendar turns toward fall. That heat lines up with Texas Fish & Game Magazine's read on the Lower Laguna Madre as the center of Texas snook fishing, and Sport Fishing Mag notes Gulf snook are starting to feel the shorter days and push toward their winter holding areas, a window that favors swimbaits like the Mulletron or Diezel MinnowZ on aggressive fish. Salt Strong's fall lure rundown adds redfish to the list of inshore targets worth prioritizing alongside snook right now.
Snook lock into their fall pattern in the Lower Laguna Madre
Water in the Lower Laguna Madre is running warm at 87.3°F and 88.9°F at NOAA CO-OPS stations 8775237 and 8779770, still holding a late-summer profile heading into the final days before the equinox. Snook are the region's headline species right now: Texas Fish & Game Magazine calls the Lower Laguna Madre the unquestioned center of Texas snook fishing, and Sport Fishing Mag reports Gulf snook feeding up as fall approaches, with aggressive fish taking swimbaits like Z-Man's Mulletron or Diezel MinnowZ.
Texas upper coast snook bite building as fall transition nears
Water temps are still running summer-warm across the upper coast, 87.3 to 89.6°F this morning at the Galveston-area and Corpus-area CO-OPS stations, holding well above where late-September usually sits. Texas Fish & Game Magazine's look at the upper coast points out that Lower Laguna Madre gets most of the attention for snook, but the species pushes north along the Texas coast too, and Sport Fishing Mag reports Gulf snook are already feeding up as days shorten ahead of their move to winter holding water, with swimbaits like the Z-Man Mulletron and Diezel MinnowZ working on aggressive fish. Tides are rolling through an overnight high, peaking between roughly 2:32 and 4:47 a.m. CDT across the three stations, into an evening low near 6:27 to 6:51 p.m., setting up a falling tide through the afternoon.
First fall signs reach Eagle Mountain Lake as bass shift with the season
North Texas Catfish Guide, working Eagle Mountain Lake near Fort Worth, describes the past few weeks as a classic late-summer grind: hot water, little wind, heavy boat traffic, and a stubborn 'ghost bite' that has anglers relearning how to read the softest of taps before setting the hook. The guide also reports sorting through a lot of small fish to find better keepers. That grind is starting to break, with the same report noting the first signs of fall settling in. Separately, Tactical Bassin's fall coverage has Largemouth Bass shifting with the season, moving up to chase baitfish around cover and in open water as the transition takes hold — a pattern that tracks with what North Texas Catfish Guide is seeing on the ground in North Texas. Together the reports point to the same story: summer's grip is loosening across Texas lakes and rivers this week.
Gulf snook feed up as Texas coast enters fall transition
Water on the upper and middle Texas coast is still running summer-warm. NOAA CO-OPS stations 8771450 and 8771341 both read 89.6°F this afternoon, with 8772471 close behind at 88°F. Per Sport Fishing Mag, that's the setup for the fall transition Gulf snook anglers wait for: as days shorten, snook begin feeding up before migrating toward winter holding water, and aggressive fish are eating swimbaits like a Mulletron or Diezel MinnowZ. Texas Fish & Game Magazine adds that snook aren't confined to the Lower Laguna Madre stronghold, noting the species shows up well north along the upper coast too, putting Galveston-Corpus water in play.
Snook Feed Up Ahead of Fall Migration in the Lower Laguna Madre
Water temperatures are holding near 88°F at NOAA CO-OPS stations 8775237 and 8779770 this afternoon, still squarely in late-summer range for the Lower Laguna Madre and South Padre. Per Sport Fishing Mag, Gulf snook are starting to feed up as the days shorten and fish begin staging toward their winter holding water, with swimbaits like the Z-Man Mulletron and Diezel MinnowZ drawing strikes from aggressive fish. Texas Fish & Game Magazine notes the Lower Laguna Madre remains the center of Texas snook fishing, though the species ranges farther up the coast than many anglers realize.
Largemouth bass shift into fall feeding mode across East Texas reservoirs
Largemouth bass across East Texas reservoirs are entering their fall transition, with nearby Lake Fork Trophy Bass reporting this week that a summer-long heat wave is finally breaking and fish are showing signs of shifting into autumn feeding patterns. That shift typically means fish moving off deep summer haunts and starting to key on baitfish as water cools, the same pattern Tactical Bassin describes for reservoirs entering the fall transition right now — bass schooling and feeding aggressively on shad as their preferred deep-water patterns start to fail.