Texas fishing reports
580 reports for Texas — what's biting, water temps, and where to focus.
Warm south Texas water keeps fall bite in a slow transition
Two USGS gauges report water at 82°F and 84°F this morning, still well above where Texas fish start their fall feeding push. Gauge 08211200 shows flow at 61.6 cfs, a low and steady stage. Per North Texas Catfish Guide, the late-summer pattern was hot water, little wind and a light, finicky bite, with the first signs of fall just starting to show. Tactical Bassin points to October as a shallow-water month, with jigs, soft jerkbaits and topwater working over cover where bass are hiding. Expect fish to favor early and late hours while the water stays this warm.
Toledo Bend and Rayburn bass settle into early fall pattern
Fall bass patterns are taking shape across East Texas reservoirs as summer heat finally breaks. Lake Fork Trophy Bass calls October a prime month, noting cooler weather and good quality fish, with hunting season pulling many anglers off the water. Tactical Bassin points to an overlooked shallow approach for October bass, using jigs, soft jerkbaits and topwater. Largemouth Bass are the species to focus on.
Bull reds working the ship channel and jetties off Galveston
Moving water is the story this week. Per the Galveston Daily News Reel Report, the bull redfish run is in full swing around Galveston, and areas along the ship channel and jetties with good current have been producing the best action. Tides have been running above normal, and the same column notes that open bay fishing has been put on hold when the wind blows, pushing anglers into protected water such as Moses Lake, Clear Lake and the upper ship channel. On the bait side, the Reel Report describes Capt. Kenny Castille fishing Clear Lake with live shrimp on the bottom, and his groups caught limits of black drum along with a few reds. Water temperatures are still warm: NOAA CO-OPS station 8771450 read 84.4°F, station 8772471 read 83.8°F and station 8771341 read 82°F on the morning of the 14th. That is summer-like water for mid-October, which fits the muggy pattern the Reel Report says is due to break.
Warm Texas water keeps fall bite just out of reach
Water is still running hot across the Texas gauges we can read. USGS gauge 0821150305 shows 85°F and USGS gauge 08211200 shows 84°F, with the second site moving 62.5 cfs. That is summer-level warmth in mid-October, and it shapes everything about how fish are feeding right now. North Texas Catfish Guide described a late-summer grind on Eagle Mountain Lake, with hot water, little wind, and a ghost bite where fish barely touch the bait. The same guide noted the first signs of fall starting to show.
Fall bass bite builds as East Texas waters cool off
Lake Fork Trophy Bass opens its October report with "Octoberfest on Fork is here," noting cooling weather, quality fish and lightly pressured water as hunters leave for the stands. That's a Texas lake rather than this region, but the seasonal shift applies across East Texas reservoirs. Tactical Bassin points to shallow water as the overlooked October play, with jigs, soft jerkbaits and topwater all in the mix. Our readings show water in the low 80s on the nearby USGS gauges (83°F at 08017044, 82°F at 08017095 and 08017118), still warm enough to keep bass in a late-summer rhythm.
Redfish stay steady along the Texas coast as water holds warm
Three NOAA CO-OPS stations along the Gulf Coast are reading 82.6°F to 84°F water this afternoon, well above what we'd call fall-pattern cool-down. Warm water keeps fish metabolism high, so expect feeding to stay tied to tide movement and low light rather than the middle of the day. Coastal Angler Magazine posted a Texas catch from San Luis Pass, where an angler wade fishing with her husband landed a flounder, a reminder that the shallow wade bite is still on. Redfish are the headline species in the Coastal Angler Magazine reader catches across the Gulf, with bull-sized fish showing up from the Mississippi coast to Florida. Salt Strong's popping cork coverage this week names redfish among the main targets for that rig.
Fall cool-down starts to wake up Texas bass and crappie
Warm water is still the story on the Coastal Bend gauges this week. USGS gauge 0821150305 read 88°F and USGS gauge 08211200 read 84°F, with the second gauge showing a modest 63.4 cfs. Those are summer-like numbers for mid-October, so fish are still holding to their late-season routines. Wired 2 Fish notes that crappie turn from finicky to aggressive almost overnight once the first real cool front blows through, and that shift is the main thing to watch for. Tactical Bassin points to shallow jigs, soft jerkbaits and topwater as the fall bass options, and says a finesse approach can save the tough days.
East Texas bass shift into fall feeding mode
Warm water is still holding across the region this week. USGS gauges 08017044 and 08017095 both read 83°F, and gauge 08017118 shows 81°F, so bass have not yet fully committed to cool-water patterns. Lake Fork Trophy Bass calls October a great month on Lake Fork, with cooling weather, quality fish and lighter boat traffic as hunting seasons open. Tactical Bassin points to jigs, soft jerkbaits and topwater around shallow cover as a strong fall approach, and says fish tend to sit near hard structure like dock pilings, laydowns and rocks.
Bull reds stack up on Galveston moving water
Bull redfish are in full swing around Galveston, per the Galveston Daily News Reel Report, and moving water is the key to finding them. Areas along the ship channel and the jetties with good current have been producing the most exciting action. Water temperatures across three NOAA CO-OPS stations (8771450, 8771341 and 8772471) read 82.2 to 82.8°F in the latest observations, still warm for mid-October. The same Reel Report notes tides have been running above normal, which has kept open-bay fishing on hold whenever the wind comes up. On those days, Capt. Kenny Castille fished Clear Lake and stayed out of the open bay, working live shrimp on the bottom. His groups caught a few reds along with their other fish. Protected water is the safer play when the breeze builds.
Hill Country lakes cool into a fall bass and crappie pattern
Gauge readings across the Austin area show a mixed picture this week. USGS gauge 08155500 reports water at 72°F with 20 cfs of flow, while gauge 08170990 reads 70°F with no measurable flow, and gauge 08105891 sits warmer at 83°F. That spread points to cooling water in the shaded, spring-fed stretches and lingering summer warmth in slower, shallower water. Per Tactical Bassin (blog), October is a strong time for shallow bass, with jigs, soft jerkbaits and topwater all getting bites near hard structure like dock pilings, laydowns and rocks. Wired 2 Fish notes that crappie turn from finicky to aggressive almost overnight after the first real cool front.
Warm Texas water holds fish deep as fall transition builds
Gauge readings near the Texas coastal bend show water at 84°F at USGS gauge 0821150305 and 82°F at USGS gauge 08211200, with 64.5 cfs flowing at the second site. That is still summer-warm water for mid-October. Per North Texas Catfish Guide, late-summer fishing on Eagle Mountain Lake has been a grind: hot water, little wind, and a ghost bite where fish barely touch the bait. Clients have had to learn to read tiny bites and dial in hooksets, and small fish have been plentiful.
Warm water holds the Texas coast in a late-season pattern
Water along the Galveston coast is still running warm, with NOAA CO-OPS stations 8771450, 8771341 and 8772471 reading 82.9, 81.7 and 82.2°F this morning. That is closer to midsummer than mid-October, and it keeps fish in a holding pattern instead of a full fall push. Texas Fish & Game Magazine points out that autumn is an overlooked time to work the coast's jetty systems. Saltwater Sportsman describes the fall mullet run as baitfish pouring out of bays and estuaries along the Gulf from September into November, so bait movement is worth watching around passes and shorelines right now.